Melbury Osmond
Village in Dorset, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melbury Osmond is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England. It lies approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of the Somerset town of Yeovil. The underlying geology is Cornbrash limestone, with adjacent Oxford clay.[2] Within the clay can be found deposits of stone which can take on a very high polish, earning them the name "Melbury marble".[3] The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as a possession of the Arundell family, and remained so until the 19th century. The parish church, St. Osmund's, was totally rebuilt in 1745[4] and restored in 1888, although it has registers dating back to 1550. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 199.[1]
| Melbury Osmond | |
|---|---|
Parish church of St Osmund | |
  Melbury Osmond Location within Dorset | |
| Population | 199 [1] |
| OS grid reference | ST574077 |
| 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 major part of Melbury Osmond village lies on a cul-de-sac lane which from the church descends past cottages to a stream and ford. The attractive appearance of the village has been noted by commentators: it has been described as "a calendarsmith's dream of thatched cottages"[5] and in 1906 Sir Frederick Treves wrote that it was "the most charming village in these Western backwoods".[4]
In its history the village has been involved in the trade of plated buckles and horn buttons, and the manufacture of dowlas.[4] During the 19th century, the village was home to the Dorset Ooser, a wooden mask brought out during "Rough Music" ceremonies.[6]
There are 34 listed buildings and structures within the parish, including the Grade II* Old Rectory and the Grade I parish church.[7]
Thomas Hardy's mother lived in Melbury Osmond as a child, and she was married in the church.[8] The village appears as "Little Hintock" in Hardy's novel The Woodlanders, in which the heroine's name is "Grace Melbury". Hardy also incorporated a legend about the Duke of Monmouth taking refuge in one of the village's cottages into his short story "The Duke's Reappearance".[8]
