Osmington

Osmington

High Street, Osmington
Osmington
 Osmington shown within Dorset
Population 673 [1]
OS grid referenceSY725829
DistrictWest Dorset
Shire countyDorset
RegionSouth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town WEYMOUTH
Postcode district DT3
Dialling code 01305
Police Dorset
Fire Dorset and Wiltshire
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK ParliamentSouth Dorset
List of places
UK
England
Dorset

Coordinates: 50°38′45″N 2°23′26″W / 50.6458°N 2.3906°W / 50.6458; -2.3906

Osmington is a village and civil parish in the District of West Dorset within Dorset, England, situated on the Jurassic Coast 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Weymouth.[2] In the 2011 census the parish—which includes the small settlements of Upton, Ringstead and Osmington Mills—had a population of 673.[1]

History

There is evidence of Bronze Age settlement in the area. The village's written history however begins in 940 when it is mentioned in a charter.

The oldest building in the village is the church, which was originally built in 1170 but has had alterations up to the 19th century. Residential buildings in the village date back to the 16th century.

To the northwest of the village, on White Horse Hill, is the Osmington White Horse, a large hill figure dating from 1808. It represents King George III.[3]

John Constable (1776–1837), the leading English landscape artist, spent his honeymoon here in October 1816 and painted views of the local area. He stayed at the home of his friend Rev. John Fisher.

Economy

Osmington's economy was primarily agricultural until after the mid 20th century. With the decline in agricultural employment in the area, the village's character changed and it is now primarily occupied by people whose work is elsewhere. Whereas previously therefore there were several shops and tradesmen in the village, by the end of the 20th century there was no shop, most tradesmen had disappeared and the village pub had been closed,[4] although this has been replaced by another inn. Despite the loss of local employment, the village, which at the end of World War II was so poor that large sections were condemned, has become affluent with a high proportion of professional and managerial residents (38.4% compared to a county average of 26.1% in 2001).[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Area: Osmington (Parish), Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Osmington (St. Osmond), 'Osleston – Otley'. In Samuel Lewis (editor),A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 486–491.
  3. ↑ Mary Kempe, Osmington, Brief History.
  4. ↑ Reg Symes, Osmington, The Character.
  5. ↑ Dorset Data Online : Osmington Parish Profile

Media related to Osmington at Wikimedia Commons

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