Summary
Bere Regis (/ˈbɪər ˈriːdʒɪs/) is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, situated 6 miles (9.7 km) north-west of Wareham. In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 1,745.
| Bere Regis | |
|---|---|
 Thatched cottages in Bere Regis | |
  Bere Regis Location within Dorset | |
| Population | 1,745 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SY846948 |
| • London | 118 miles (190 km) ENE |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WAREHAM |
| Postcode district | BH20 |
| Dialling code | 01929 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Bere Regis Village Bere Regis Parish Council |
The village has one shop, a family-owned cheese barn, a post office, and two pubs, The Royal Oak and The Drax Arms. The parish church is St. John the Baptist Church. The village features in the Domesday Book of 1086.
History edit
Woodbury Hill, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of Bere Regis village, is the site of an Iron Age contour hill-fort, the ramparts of which enclose 12 acres (4.9 ha) on a flat-topped spur of land.[1]
The original settlements in the parish were Shitterton, Bere Regis village and Dodding's Farm, which are all sited by the Bere or Milborne Stream. Later settlements were small farms in the Piddle Valley to the south, first recorded between the mid 13th and mid 14th centuries.[2]
Edward I made Bere Regis a free borough and it was an important market town for a long period, though all domestic buildings built before 1600 have since been destroyed by serious fires in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.[2]
Governance edit
Bere Regis is in an electoral ward that bears its name and includes neighbouring Bloxworth. The ward population in the 2011 census was 1,945.[3] The ward forms part of the parliamentary constituency of Mid Dorset and North Poole. Its Member of Parliament since 2015 is the Conservative Michael Tomlinson.
After 2019 structural changes to local government in England, Bere Regis is part of the West Purbeck ward which elects 2 members to Dorset Council.[4]
It is formerly governed by Purbeck District Council and Bere Regis Parish Council at the parish level. The parish council meets once per month.[5]
Geography edit
Bere Regis village is sited by the side of the small Bere River or Bere Stream, a tributary of the River Piddle, where the chalk of the Dorset Downs, to the north, dips beneath newer deposits of clay, sands and gravels.[6] The village is situated at the western terminus of the A31 road (Guildford – Bere Regis), where it joins the A35 (Southampton – Honiton), although both roads now bypass the village. The local travel hubs are Wareham railway station, 6 miles (9.7 km) from the village, and Bournemouth Airport, 17 miles (27 km) away.
To the south-east of the village a large conifer plantation, Wareham Forest, stretches several miles to Wareham. To the west is Dorchester, north is Blandford Forum and east is Bournemouth. Further to the south is the chalk ridge of the Purbeck Hills, and 10 miles (16 km) to the south is the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site on the English Channel.
Architecture edit
Having suffered extensive fires throughout its history, including the most serious in 1777, the village has lost many of its older buildings. There is, however, a selection of Georgian and Victorian buildings. The nearby hamlet of Shitterton, protected by the Bere River from the fires, still retains an extensive selection of older buildings, predominantly thatch. Amongst them is the oldest residential building in the parish; the 550-year-old Honeycombe Cottage.
The oldest parts of the parish church of St John the Baptist are of the 12th century, but additions were made in the following three centuries. The tower is built of stone-and-flint chequerwork, and the timber roof of the nave is said to have been the gift of Cardinal John Morton. Features of interest include the arcades, some 16th-century seating and a number of Purbeck marble monuments. The Victorian and later stained glass is of poor quality.[7]
Demography edit
In the 2011 census Bere Regis civil parish had 852 dwellings,[8] 803 households and a population of 1,745 (867 male, 878 female).[9]
Education edit
The village has one village school: Bere Regis Primary & Pre-School located in Southbrook. This is a mixed primary school for children aged 4–10.
Literature edit
The village featured in several novels of Thomas Hardy, most notably, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. The village was portrayed as 'Kingsbere', and the D'Urberville family was based on the Turberville family of Bere Regis. This family name has evolved to Turbyfill.
Sport and recreation edit
Bere Regis has an active village sports club and playing fields which can be used for different sports. Bere Regis FC are one of the oldest Football Clubs in England and in Dorset, having been formed in 1885 when they were known as the 'Arabs'.[10] They are a well established team.
Twin towns edit
Bere Regis is twinned with:
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "'Hill-Forts', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 2, South east (London, 1970), pp. 483–501". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ a b "'Bere Regis', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 2, South east (London, 1970), pp. 11–22". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ "Bere Regis". ukcensusdata.com. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Area profile for West Purbeck - Dorset Council". gi.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ "Welcome to the Bere Regis Parish Council Website". bereregisparishcouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
- ^ Ralph Wightman (1983). Portrait of Dorset (4 ed.). Robert Hale Ltd. pp. 11, 46, 50, 53, 65, 66. ISBN 0-7090-0844-9.
- ^ Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the South. London: Collins; p. 172
- ^ "Area: Bere Regis (Parish). Dwellings, Household Spaces and Accommodation Type, 2011 (KS401EW)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ "Area: Bere Regis (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ^ https://bereregis.com/?page_id=36 www.bereregis.com
- ^ "Dorset Twinning Association List". The Dorset Twinning Association. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
External links edit
- The Village Website
- The Parish Council Website