Purbeck was a
local government district
The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...
in
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The district was named after the
Isle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck is a peninsula in Dorset, England. It is bordered by water on three sides: the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the n ...
, a
peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...
that forms a large proportion of the district's area. However, it extended significantly further north and west than the traditional boundary of the Isle of Purbeck which is the
River Frome. The district council was based in the town of
Wareham, which is itself north of the Frome.
The district was formed under the
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
on 1 April 1974, from the former municipal borough of Wareham, Swanage Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland), urban district and Wareham and Purbeck Rural District.
The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2019, together with the other four districts outside the greater Bournemouth area, to form a new Dorset (unitary authority), Dorset unitary authority.
Its name is recorded in 948 AD as Old English, Anglo-Saxon ''Purbicinga'', meaning "of the people of Purbic", where Purbic may be a former Celtic name, or may contain a supposed Anglo-Saxon word *''pur'' or "male domestic sheep, lamb".
Settlements
:''Settlements with a population over 2,500 are in bold.''
*Affpuddle, Arne, Dorset, Arne
*Bere Regis, Bloxworth
*Chaldon Herring, Church Knowle, Coombe Keynes, Corfe Castle (village), Corfe Castle
*East Lulworth, East Stoke, Dorset, East Stoke
*Harman's Cross
*Kingston, Purbeck, Dorset, Kingston, Kimmeridge
*Langton Matravers, Lytchett Matravers, Lytchett Minster
*Morden, Dorset, Morden, Moreton, Dorset, Moreton
*Ridge, Dorset, Ridge
*Steeple, Dorset, Steeple, Stoborough, Stoborough Green, Studland, Swanage
*Turners Puddle
*
Wareham, West Lulworth, Winfrith Newburgh, Wool, Dorset, Wool, Worgret, Worth Matravers
*Upton, Dorset, Upton Lytchett Minster and Upton
Places of interest
*Ballard Down, Blue Pool, Dorset, Blue Pool, Brownsea Island
*Chaldon Down, Chapman's Pool, Clouds Hill, Corfe Castle
*Dancing Ledge, Dunshay Manor, Durdle Door, Durlston Country Park
*Godlingstone Heath, Godlingstone Manor
*Hambury Tout
*Jurassic Coast (A World Heritage Site)
*Lulworth Castle, Lulworth Cove
*Kimmeridge
*Nine Barrow Down
*Old Harry Rocks
*Poole Harbour, Purbeck Heritage Coast
*Smedmore Hill, South West Coast Path, St Aldhelm's Head, Studland Bay, Swanage Railway, Swyre Head
*Tyneham
*Worbarrow Tout, Wareham Forest, Winspit, Wytch Farm
See also
*Purbeck Marble
*Purbeck Ball Clay - Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum
*List of churches in Purbeck
*Purbeck District Council elections
References
External links
Purbeck District CouncilNational Coastwatch Institution St Alban's Head Website
Links to all the Museums on the Isle of Purbeck
{{Coord, 50, 41, 9.60, N, 2, 6, 35.71, W, display=title, region:GB_type:adm3rd
Purbeck District,
Former non-metropolitan districts
Non-metropolitan districts of Dorset
2019 disestablishments in England