Marnhull (/ˈmɑːrnəl/ MAR-nəl) is a village and civil parish in Dorset, southern England. River Stour, which forms the northern and western boundaries of the parish. Marnhull consists of several conjoined hamlets, related by a community of minor roads. The village presents a mixture of architectural kinds, with publish-conflict developments current alongside properties dating again to Tudor times and earlier. It has three churches (Anglican, Roman Catholic and Methodist), two primary faculties, two public houses, a GP surgical procedure, a village corridor and a recreation floor, as well as numerous small outlets and providers. It lies in the Blackmore Vale, three miles (5 kilometres) north of Sturminster Newton and 18 miles (29 km) north of Dorchester.

Roman settlement was established at Ashley Wood in the east of the parish. The jap part of Marnhull parish used to be a separate parish, named Thorton, until the 16th century. The Domesday E-book of 1086 doesn’t point out Marnhull by name, although the constituent settlements of Walton Elm, Burton and Kentleworth were probably recorded beneath the entry for Sturminster Newton as the eight hides of land owned by Waleran, Roger and Chetel.

Till 1763 Marnhull was the site of an annual bull-baiting occasion, happening every 3 Could. The event was stopped as a response to the violence and bloodshed it engendered, not just in Marnhull but additionally in surrounding villages. Marnhull is part of the Stalbridge and Marnhull ward which elects 1 member to Dorset Council. 50 to 90 metres (160 to 300 feet). Marnhull is in the constituency of North Dorset, currently represented in the UK parliament by the Conservative Simon Hoare.

The western boundary of the parish is formed by the River Stour and the japanese by the key Brook, a tributary of the Stour. From west to east the geology of the parish contains a skinny strip of Oxford clay around the Stour, a protracted ridge of Corallian sand and limestone between the Stour and Chivrick’s Brook, then lower-mendacity Kimmeridge clay between Chivrick’s Brook and the eastern boundary. These watercourses all drain north to south. The central a part of the parish is drained by Chivrick’s Brook, a tributary of the key Brook.

Marnhull village is sited on the ridge of Corallian beds, which form the best part of the parish and are the supply of the building stone extensively used all through it. The Crown Inn is described by Hardy as ‘The Pure Drop Inn‘, and The Blackmore Vale Inn is described as ‘Rollivers’ – a disreputable and unlawful drinking home, the place secret ale drinking groups gathered upstairs. Thomas Hardy described Marnhull as ‘Marlott’ in his novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

The tv adaptation of the guide was filmed within the village. Roland Gant (1980). Dorset Villages. Giles Hussey was born here and lived at Nash Home before studying art in Italy. Ralph Wightman (1983). Portrait of Dorset. Sir Peter Harding, GCB, (born 2 December 1933) is a retired Royal Air Power Chief of the Air Staff, and Chief of Defence Staff. Grierson, Jamie (sixteen Might 2025). “Residents of Dorset village that inspired Thomas Hardy combat back in opposition to growth”. William Gosling (footballer) was living at Lovells Court docket, Marnhull, at the 1911 Census. Robert Hale Ltd. p.

Robert Hale Ltd. p. North Dorset District Council (c. Home Publishing Co. Ltd. This page was final edited on 21 June 2025, at 18:16 (UTC). 1983). North Dorset District Official Guide. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marnhull. British Historical past Online. University of London. Ayres, Ken (February 2016). “Marnhull: A photo essay”. By utilizing this site, you conform to the Phrases of Use and Privacy Coverage. Dictionary of Nationwide Biography. Office for National Statistics. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Area E04010496 (Marnhull civil parish) in Table 002, out there from “Parish Profiles”. Text is on the market underneath the Artistic Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.Zero License; additional terms might apply.