Osmington
Encyclopedia
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) northeast of Weymouth. The village has a population
of 609.
To the east is Osmington Hill.
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
.
Its oldest building is the church, originally built in 1170 but with alterations up to the 19th century. Normal residential buildings in the village date back to the 16th century.
Osmington has a white horse
cut into the hillside nearby. This is relatively recent, dating from 1808, and was cut for King George III
.
The leading English landscape artist John Constable
(1776–1837) spent his honeymoon here in October 1816 and painted views of the local area.
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%, as of 2001).
West Dorset
West Dorset is a local government district and parliamentary constituency in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Dorchester. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester and Lyme Regis, along with...
within Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, situated on the Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Weymouth. The village has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 609.
To the east is Osmington Hill.
History
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlement in the area. The village's written history however begins in 940 when it is mentioned in a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
.
Its oldest building is the church, originally built in 1170 but with alterations up to the 19th century. Normal residential buildings in the village date back to the 16th century.
Osmington has a white horse
Osmington White Horse
The Osmington White Horse is a hill figure sculpted in 1808 into the limestone Osmington hill just north of Weymouth called the South Dorset Downs, within the parish of Osmington....
cut into the hillside nearby. This is relatively recent, dating from 1808, and was cut for King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
.
The leading English landscape artist John Constable
John Constable
John Constable was an English Romantic painter. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home—now known as "Constable Country"—which he invested with an intensity of affection...
(1776–1837) spent his honeymoon here in October 1816 and painted views of the local area.
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, although this has been replaced by another inn. Despite the loss of local employment, the village, which at the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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%, as of 2001).
See also
- Osmington MillsOsmington MillsOsmington Mills is a coastal village situated between Ringstead Bay and the town of Weymouth in Dorset, England. It is located within the civil parish of Osmington.- Tourism :...
, a small village on the coast close to Osmington - Osmington White HorseOsmington White HorseThe Osmington White Horse is a hill figure sculpted in 1808 into the limestone Osmington hill just north of Weymouth called the South Dorset Downs, within the parish of Osmington....
, carved into a chalk hillside
External links
- Osmington local history
- Census data
- Osmington On-Line — the Osmington website