Woodlands, Dorset

Woodlands is a village and civil parish in the East Dorset district of Dorset, South-West England. It is five miles (8 km) north of Wimborne Minster. Horton Road is the main road going through the parish.

Woodlands

The Church of the Ascension, Woodlands
Woodlands
Location within Dorset
Population522 2011 Census
OS grid referenceSU051090
Civil parish
  • Woodlands
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWIMBORNE
Postcode districtBH21
Dialling code01202
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
A historical map of Woodlands, Dorset in 1945
Graph showing the occupational structure in Woodlands in 1881

Woodlands has a long history and is known for multiple reasons. It is home to the Church of the Ascension which is a Grade II listed building.

In 2001, the village had a population of 544 but in 2011 the population had fallen to 522.[1]

The village

Demography

The population grew from 346 in 1811 to 476 in 1851 and then declined to 384 in 1911 [2] but grew from a low point of 323 in 1951 to reach 544 in the 2001 census. In 2011, the village had a population of 522,[1] 272 males and 250 females;[3] the majority (504) are white British and Christianity (334) is the main religion.[4]

Economy

Of the 286 people who are economically active,[5] 280 are currently in employment, the majority (67) are either managers, directors or senior officials.[6] The main industry that the residents of Woodlands work in is the Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motor Cycles (44). Manufacturing (37) and construction (35) also make up a large sector of employment in Woodlands.[7] In 1831 the majority of the population (67) were employed as agricultural labourers,[8] in 1881 that increased to 70.[9]

Housing

There are currently 201 households in Woodlands[10] which has increased from 95 in 1901.[11] The average house price in Woodlands is £447,735 which is comparatively more expensive than in neighbouring Verwood (£332,770) and Three Legged Cross (£352,353) but is cheaper than nearby Holt (£699,607).[12] The majority of households (90) are married couple households with no dependent children.[13]

Recreation

Remedy Oak golf club is located in the heart of Woodlands that helps to increase the popularity of the area.

The parish church

Woodlands is home to the Anglican Church of the Ascension, a Grade II listed building.[14] The church is in the Diocese of Salisbury. The church was dedicated in 1892 and was given to the village by Harriet, the Countess of Shaftesbury, in memory of her husband Anthony who was the 8th Earl of Shaftesbury.[15] The church was designed by prolific church architect George Frederick Bodley who designed cathedrals in Tasmania and Washington.[16] The exterior of the church is a plain brick structure but the inside is prominent. There are three central columns arcading down the middle of the nave. On entering the church there is a large 12th-century circular stone font from Knowlton church (two miles west) which, according to tradition, was used for baptisms by Saint Aldhelm.[15]

History

Woodlands parish was established when the hamlets of Baggeridge, Woodlands and Knowlton (the earliest settlement) were detached from Horton in the 19th century. Woodlands village was then first recorded in 1244.[17] Woodlands was part of the Shaftesbury estate until after the Second World war.[16]

The parish is home to the hamlet of Knowlton with its prehistoric henges known as Knowlton Circles.

In 1870-72 John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales said that in Woodlands:

"The Duke of Monmouth, after the battle of Sedgemoor, was taken here in a ditch."[18]

The village is mentioned in 'Owen's book of fairs' in 1788 as having a yearly fair selling horses, cheese and toys on the 5th of July. (https://archive.org/stream/owensnewbookfai00owengoog#page/n39/mode/2up)

Graph showing total population change in Woodlands between 1801 and 2011.
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References
  1. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics - Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings". www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  2. "Woodlands CP/Ch through time, Population Statistics, Total Population". visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  3. "Woodlands (Parish) Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  4. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics - Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings". www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  5. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics - Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings". www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  6. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics - Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings". www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  7. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics - Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings". www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  8. "Woodlands CP/Ch through time | Industry Statistics | Males aged 20 and over, in 9 occupational categories". visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  9. "Woodlands CP/Ch through time | Industry Statistics | Occupation data classified into the 24 1881 'Orders', plus sex". visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  10. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics - Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings". www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  11. "Woodlands CP/Ch through time | Housing Statistics | Total Households". visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  12. "House Prices in Woodlands, Wimborne, Dorset". www.rightmove.co.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  13. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics - Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings". www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  14. Historic England. "Church of the Ascension, Woodlands  (Grade II*) (1120073)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  15. "The Quintet Group of Parishes". www.dorsetquintet.org.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  16. "Church of Ascension". verwood.org. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  17. "Woodlands | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  18. Wilson, John Marius (1870–72). Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. Edinburgh: A. Fullerton & Co.

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