Cattistock is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, sited in the upper reaches of the Frome Valley, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the county town Dorchester. The Dorset poet William Barnes called it "elbow-streeted Cattstock",[2] a comment on the less-than-linear village street. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 509.[1]
Cattistock | |
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![]() Church and The Square, Cattistock | |
![]() ![]() Cattistock Location within Dorset | |
Population | 509 [1] |
OS grid reference | SY592996 |
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Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Dorchester |
Postcode district | DT2 |
Police | Dorset |
Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
Ambulance | South Western |
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A church was built here in the 12th century by the monks of Milton Abbey, though this structure has not survived.[3] The current church, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul,[3] was rebuilt in the 19th century by architects Sir George Gilbert Scott and his son George Gilbert Scott Junior. The Perpendicular-styled tower was the work of the latter, and has led to the church being dubbed the 'Cathedral of the Frome Valley'; he was also responsible for the porch, north aisle and vestry.[4] A carillon of 35 bells was installed in the new tower a few years after its construction. This was the first carillon to be introduced to England and attracted hundreds of visitors to the valley, though the bells were destroyed by a fire in the tower on 15 September 1940.[2][5] The fire also destroyed the very large clock, which previously almost spanned the width of the tower.[2] In 1972 the Pevsner guide to Dorset architecture said that "for the mid- to late-nineteenth century, this is the masterpiece amongst Dorset churches".[2] The church is a Grade I Listed Building.[6]
Nearly 1.75 miles (2.82 km) north of the village is Chantmarle, a house dating from the 15th century, with additions in the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries.[7] It received its name—which means "song of the blackbird" in Norman French—from the Chauntmerles family, who lived on the site in the early 13th century.[8] In 1910 Inigo Thomas designed new end wings and a terraced garden with ponds.[2][9] In the late 20th century Chantmarle was used as a centre for police training.[2] It is now a Christian retreat and wedding reception venue.[8]
The Cattistock Hunt is a foxhound pack established by a parson at Cattistock Lodge in the mid 18th century. It was given the name 'The True Blue'.[2]
Cattistock hosts a Dorset knob throwing event and the Frome Valley Food Festival every year on the first Sunday in May.[10]
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