Godmanstone
Village and civil parish in Dorset, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Godmanstone (or Godmanston[1]) is a village and civil parish in Dorset in southern England, situated approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the county town Dorchester. Its name means "Godman's Farm"[1] and it is sited by the River Cerne amongst chalk hills of the Dorset Downs.
| Godmanstone | |
|---|---|
Parish church of the Holy Trinity, Godmanstone | |
  Godmanstone Location within Dorset | |
 Interactive map of Godmanstone | |
| Population | 166 (2021 census) |
| OS grid reference | SY667972 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Dorchester |
| Postcode district | DT2 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
The Smiths Arms
Godmanstone used to have a pub — The Smiths Arms — which claimed to be the smallest in Britain, with the interior measuring 3.6 metres (12 ft) by 4.6 metres (15 ft).[2] The story attached to the claim was that the original licence was granted by Charles II when he requested that the village blacksmith serve him a glass of porter. The smith refused because he had no licence, so Charles granted him one on the spot and was served his drink. The licence only applied to the smithy; adjacent living quarters, subsequently used by drinkers, were larger.[3] The business closed at the start of 2011.[4]
Holy Trinity Church
The parish church is partly Norman, chiefly perpendicular, with a tower; and was recently[when?] repaired. A tune 'Godmanstone' by Cyril Vincent Taylor 1907-1991, vicar of nearby Cerne Abbas 1958-1969, was set in Hymns Ancient and Modern New Standard (#399i), part of which he edited, to the hymn 'Lord, we are blind'.
Demographics
- In 2001, data reported for Godmanstone was combined with data for Nether Cerne parish.
Notable inhabitants
Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington (ca.1579–1652) came from Godmanstone. He was the English lord treasurer and ambassador and leader of the pro-Spanish, pro-Roman Catholic faction in the court of Charles I.[9]
