Drimpton

Drimpton is a village in the English county of Dorset, situated approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Beaminster and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Crewkerne in Somerset. It lies within the civil parish of Broadwindsor.

Drimpton
The Royal Oak public house at Drimpton
Drimpton is located in Dorset
Drimpton
Drimpton
Location within Dorset
OS grid referenceST418050
Unitary authority
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
  • West Dorset

Drimpton is sited on a small tributary of the River Axe which was unnamed until 2005 when, after a vote by villagers, it was officially named the "Little Axe". Neighbouring settlements include Clapton, Seaborough, Blackdown, Kittwhistle, Broadwindsor, Burstock, Greenham and Netherhay, the latter two being small hamlets virtually contiguous with Drimpton. At Greenham there was once a flax mill, part of which still survives. Three books, chronicling life in the area, have recently been compiled; the project was called 'Village Voices'.

Netherhay Bridge, which carries Crewkerne Road over the River Axe, was built by J & D Gale of Allington and is dated 1829. The village's single-span bridge, which forms part of the B3162 road, was built in 2003.[1] The former Drimpton Toll House is located on Bridport Road (B3162).[2]

History

Traditionally many of Drimpton's inhabitants worked in the agricultural industry,[3] with Drimpton, Lower Drimpton, and Bridge Farms in the locality. During the 19th century, Greenham Mill was a major employer in the area.[4] The mill was built about half a mile west of Drimpton in 1824. It closed in 1923 and was sold in 1931. By the 1950s, the main mill building was being used by Beaminster firm Cow and Gate for the storage of dried milk powder, and then Lockyer and Sons, who operated the nearby Clapton Mill, used the building for storing grain. The building was demolished in 1980. By 1931, the roadside warehouse was occupied by the haulage firm Rendell and Read. Cosipet transformed the building into a factory making pet products in 1986 and they continue to operate there.[5][6]

Amenities

The village has two places of worship: the Anglican parish church of St Mary's and the Netherhay Methodist Chapel. St Mary's was built as a chapel of ease to the parish church of St John the Baptist in Broadwindsor and opened in 1867.[7] The Methodist chapel was built in 1838.[8] A school serving up to 100 mixed pupils was opened in 1874 and enlarged in 1886. It closed in 1968 and the pupils were then bussed to the newly built school at Broadwindsor. It is now a private residence, the Old School House.[9]

Drimpton Village Hall was opened by Mr. A. R. Hayward of Misterton on 20 December 1923. It was erected by Messrs. Wakely Bros of Broadwindsor to the specifications of Mr. L. Clarke of West Chinnock. A concert and dance was held on its opening day.[10]

The village shop and post office (4 Chard Road) closed in 1993.[11]

Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is the village's pub and is owned by Palmers Brewery.[12] The original thatched pub was purchased by the brewery in 1890.[13] It suffered a major fire later that year on 15 October, which broke out in a chimney and left the building as "a heap of ruins".[14][15] The pub was subsequently rebuilt in 1891–92 and reoccupied in late 1892.[16]

Drimpton once had a second pub, the New Inn, which closed in 1958 and is now a private residence, the Pin House.[17]

Grade listed buildings
  • Bridge Farmhouse – detached farmhouse of early 19th century date[18]
  • Haydon Villa – detached villa of early 19th century date[19]
  • The Yews – detached house of circa mid-18th century date[20]

References
  1. "Drimpton Bridge, Chard Road, Drimpton, Broadwindsor". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  2. "Tollhouses of Dorset". turnpikes.org.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  3. "Broadwindsor - 1891 Census - District 7". opcdorset.org. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  4. George Philip R. Pulman (1854). The Book of the Axe. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. p. 74. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via Google Books.
  5. Harris, Duncan (January 2020). "Greenham Mill, Drimpton, Broadwindsor". Beaminster Museum. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via millsarchive.org.
  6. Harris, Duncan (February 2014). "Greenham Mill, Drimpton". Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via docplayer.net.
  7. "Opening of a new church at Drimpton". Dorset County Chronicle and Somersetshire Gazette. 25 July 1867. Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "METHODIST CHURCH, Broadwindsor - 1290543". Historic England. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  9. "Contentdm". Specialcollections.le.ac.uk. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  10. "Drimpton - Opening of the hall". The Western Gazette. 28 December 1923. Retrieved 27 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Planning application: 1/W/97/000518". planning.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. 29 August 1997. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  12. "Royal Oak Drimpton". Palmers Brewery. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  13. "Broadwindsor". The Western Chronicle. 2 May 1890. Retrieved 28 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. "Drimpton. The "Royal Oak" destroyed by fire". The Western Chronicle. 17 October 1890. Retrieved 28 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. "Drimpton. Fire". The Bridport News. 17 October 1890. Retrieved 28 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. "To be let". The Bridport News. 16 September 1892. Retrieved 28 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. "Chard Road, Drimpton, Beaminster, Dorset". Rightmove. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  18. Historic England (31 July 1984). "BRIDGE FARMHOUSE, Broadwindsor (1220614)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  19. Historic England (11 November 1966). "HAYDON VILLA, Broadwindsor (1220617)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  20. Historic England (11 November 1966). "THE YEWS, Broadwindsor (1220566)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

Media related to Drimpton at Wikimedia Commons

  • St Mary's Church
    St Mary's Church
  • Haydon Villa and Chard Road
    Haydon Villa and Chard Road
  • Chard Road
    Chard Road
  • The former New Inn, now the Pin House
    The former New Inn, now the Pin House
  • The former toll house on Bridport Road
    The former toll house on Bridport Road
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