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Sherborne is a market town and civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The parish includes the hamlets of Nether Coombe and Lower Clatcombe. The A30 road, which connects London to
Penzance Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...
, runs through the town. In the 2011 census the population of Sherborne parish and the two electoral wards was 9,523. 28.7% of the population is aged 65 or older. Sherborne's historic buildings include Sherborne Abbey, its manor house,
independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...
s, and two castles: the ruins of a 12th-century fortified palace and the 16th-century mansion known as
Sherborne Castle Sherborne Castle is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne in Dorset, England, within the parish of Castleton. It stands in a park which formed a small part of the Digby estate. Old castle Sherborne Old Castle () is the ruin ...
built by
Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...
. Much of the old town, including the abbey and many medieval and
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
buildings, is built from distinctive
ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...
-coloured ham stone. The town is served by
Sherborne railway station Sherborne railway station serves the town of Sherborne in Dorset, England. It is situated on the West of England Main Line, down the line from and is currently operated by South Western Railway. History The station was opened by the Salisb ...
.


Toponymy

The town was named ''scir burne'' by the
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
inhabitants, a name meaning "clear stream", after a brook that runs through the centre of the town, and is referred to as such in the Domesday Book.


History

In 705 the diocese of Wessex was split between Sherborne and
Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
, and
King Ine Ine, also rendered Ini or Ina, ( la, Inus; c. AD 670 – after 726) was King of Wessex from 689 to 726. At Ine's accession, his kingdom dominated much of southern England. However, he was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor ...
founded an abbey for St Aldhelm, the first Bishop of Sherborne, which covered Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. King
Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...
's elder brothers, King Æthelbald and King Æthelberht, are buried in the abbey. The large Sherborne diocese lasted until about 909 when it was further sub-divided into three sees, with Sherborne covering Dorset. In 933, King Æthelstan granted land at Sherborne to the nuns of Shaftesbury Abbey under the condition that they would recite the Psalter once a year on All Saints' day and say prayers for the king. The bishop's seat was moved to Old Sarum in 1075 and the church at Sherborne became a Benedictine monastery. In 1437 the Abbey was damaged by fire after tensions between the town and the monastery came to a head, but much of the
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
structure stands today. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, in 1539, the vacated monastery buildings were bought by Sir John Horsey and became the parish church. Sherborne was the centre of a hundred of the same name for many centuries. In the 12th century Roger de Caen, Bishop of Salisbury and Chancellor of England, built a fortified palace in Sherborne. During the English Civil War, the palace was destroyed in 1645 by
General Fairfax Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented command ...
. Its ruins are now owned by English Heritage. In 1594
Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...
built an Elizabethan mansion in the grounds of the old palace, today known as
Sherborne Castle Sherborne Castle is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne in Dorset, England, within the parish of Castleton. It stands in a park which formed a small part of the Digby estate. Old castle Sherborne Old Castle () is the ruin ...
. Sherborne became home to Yorkshireman Captain
Christopher Levett Capt. Christopher Levett (15 April 1586 – 1630) was an English writer, explorer and naval captain, born at York, England. He explored the coast of New England and secured a grant from the King to settle present-day Portland, Maine, the first ...
, who came to the West Country as His Majesty's Woodward of
Somersetshire ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
, and who remained in Sherborne when he turned to a career as a naval captain and early explorer of New England.


Governance

In the UK national parliament, Sherborne is within the West Dorset parliamentary constituency. , the Member of Parliament (MP) Chris Loder of the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
. In local government, Sherborne is administered by Dorset Council at the highest tier, and Sherborne Town Council at the lowest tier. In national parliament and local council elections, Dorset is divided into several electoral wards, with Sherborne forming two of these: Sherborne West and Sherborne East. In county council elections, Dorset is divided into 42 electoral divisions, with Sherborne's two wards together forming Sherborne Electoral Division.


Education

There has been a school in Sherborne since the time of King Alfred, who was educated there. The school was re-founded in 1550 as King Edward's grammar school, using some of the old abbey buildings, though it is now known simply as Sherborne School. The school is one of the
independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...
s in Britain, with alumni such as Alan Turing, Jeremy Irons, Chris Martin, John le Carré, Hugh Bonneville and
John Cowper Powys John Cowper Powys (; 8 October 187217 June 1963) was an English philosopher, lecturer, novelist, critic and poet born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar of the parish church in 1871–1879. Powys appeared with a volume of verse ...
. Sherborne School operates
Sherborne International Sherborne International (formerly the International College, Sherborne School) is an independent co-educational fully boarding school for boys and girls aged between 8 and 17-years-old. It is located in the historic town of Sherborne in Dorset i ...
, a school which seeks to integrate international students into the British public school tradition. Sherborne School for Girls, often simply known as Sherborne Girls was founded in 1895. Its notable alumnae include the opera singer
Emma Kirkby Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, (; born 26 February 1949) is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings. Education and early career Kirkby was educated at Hanford School, Sherborne School for Girls in Dors ...
and the scientist
Rosa Beddington Rosa Susan Penelope Beddington Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (23 March 1956 – 18 May 2001) was a British biologist whose career had a major impact on developmental biology. Education and early life Beddington was born on 23 March 1956, the ...
.
Sherborne Preparatory School Sherborne Preparatory School is a non-selective co-educational preparatory school in the town of Sherborne, Dorset in southern England. It is an independent preparatory school which merged with Sherborne School in April 2021. It continues to ben ...
is located opposite Sherborne School, and many of its pupils choose to go on to Sherborne School or Sherborne Girls. Until 1992 there were also two grammar schools, Foster's School for Boys and Lord Digby's School for Girls. Both schools merged with another local school to form
The Gryphon School The Gryphon School is a Church of England secondary school with academy status for 11 to 18-year-olds in Sherborne, Dorset, England. The school has been the largest member of the Academy Trust "Sherborne Area Schools' Trust" (SAST) since June 201 ...
. The town also has two primary schools, Sherborne Abbey Primary School and Sherborne Primary School.


Historic buildings

Notable historic buildings in the town include: The
almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
s of
Saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Å , holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
s John the Baptist and John the Evangelist: founded in 1437 and building completed in 1448. It was expanded in 1866 in indistinguishable medieval style architecture; The conduit: originally built in the Abbey Cloister c.1520 as the Monks' wash place, but moved to the Market Place in 1560;
Hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...
of St Julian: founded in c.1405; No. 101 Newland: built 1297; Lord Digby school, now known as Sherborne House (designed by Benjamin Bastard). Sherborne House, famed for its mural by
Sir James Thornhill Sir James Thornhill (25 July 1675 or 1676 – 4 May 1734) was an English painter of historical subjects working in the Italian baroque tradition. He was responsible for some large-scale schemes of murals, including the "Painted Hall" at the Ro ...
, was a subject for the BBC's ''Restoration'' programme in 2004, and was sold in 2008 by Dorset County Council to a developer, Redcliffe Homes, for £3 million. Its renovation included rebuilding an unstable rear wall. St Emerenciana's Chapel (now known as Nethercoombe Farm); built in the late 14th century. The only building in the country to have been dedicated to this saint. There are 378 listed buildings within the town and 23 in Castleton (considered to be an inclusion of Sherborne), totalling 401, including 14 Grade I listed buildings and 21 Grade II* listed buildings.


Churches

The parish church, known as Sherborne Abbey is the most prominent building in the town. There is a Catholic Church, Church of St Aldhelm and the Sacred Heart, on Westbury. Cheap Street Church is a joint Methodist and United Reformed congregation.


Demographics


Notable residents

* Mike Davis, a rugby player and coach with England. * The social reformer and moralist Rev Sir
James Marchant Rev Sir James Marchant FRSE FLS FRAS KBE LLD (1867–1956) was a British eugenicist, social reformer and author. He was leader of the National Vigilance Association, concerned with social morality, and also the Director of the National Council o ...
died here in 1956. * Olympic sailor Andrew Simpson (1976–2013) lived here. * Olympic field hockey player Michael Walford lived and worked here for many years before his death in 2002.


Environment and community

Sherborne has an active green community, with various environmental and sustainability organisations in the area. The Quarr Local Nature Reserve at the northern end of the town makes use of an old quarry and landfill site, Sherborne Area Partnership oversees a successful environment forum and, in 2009, Sherborne became an official
Transition Town The terms transition town, transition initiative and transition model refer to grassroots, grassroot community projects that aim to increase self-sufficiency to reduce the potential effects of peak oil, Global warming, climate destruction, and eco ...
, running a number of projects and events as a community response to climate change and peak oil.


Pack Monday Fair

The town has for centuries hosted an annual street fair, Pack Monday Fair, starting on the Monday following 10 October (
Old Michaelmas Day Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in some Western liturgical calendars on 29 September, ...
). Originally an agricultural fair, it is now devoted to stalls, sideshows and a funfair.


Sport and leisure

Sherborne has a
non-League football Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...
club
Sherborne Town FC Sherborne Town Football Club are a football club based in the town of Sherborne, Dorset, England. They are currently members of the and play at Raleigh Grove. The club is affiliated to the Dorset County Football Association and is a FA chartere ...
, a cricket club (Sherborne CC), and a rugby club,
Sherborne RFC Sherborne Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Dorset in the south west of England. The club was established in 1980. It has a membership of 100 senior players and a further 300 boys and girls in the junior section. The club runs two ...
.


International relations

Sherborne is a founding member of the Douzelage, a town twinning association of 24 towns across the European Union. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. Discussions regarding membership are also in hand with three further towns ( Agros in Cyprus, Å kofja Loka in Slovenia, and Tryavna in Bulgaria). Sherbourne Street, Toronto and
Sherbourne (TTC) Sherbourne is a subway station on the Bloor–Danforth line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station, which opened in 1966, is located west of Sherbourne Street on the south side of Bloor Street East. The station primarily serves the St. Jam ...
subway station was named after the town, as it was the birthplace of Upper Canada official and Toronto resident Thomas Ridout.


See also

*
Sherborne Hundred Sherborne Hundred was a hundred in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes: See also *List of hundreds in Dorset This is a list of hundreds in the county of Dorset, England. Between the Anglo-Saxon period and the Loc ...
for more on the history of the hundred


Sources and references


General sources

* Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1968. ''Dorset''. London: Faber & Faber. * ''The 1985 AA illustrated guide to the towns and villages of Britain''.


Citations


External links


Town web site
* {{Authority control Market towns in Dorset Towns in Dorset