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Blandford
Forum origins date back to the Saxon era. Then it was
know
by the Saxon name
Blaen-y-ford. It again re-appears in the
Domesday Book of 1088, as Blaneford both names
however mean the same, a ford of the river, the river being the Stour.
The town slowly increased in size, and by the 13th century
Blandford had evolved in-to a very busy livestock and market town,
servicing the farmer's of the near by Vale of Blackmore, which had
numerous dairy farm's. In 1540 the Latin word Forum (meaning
market was added thus giving Blanford the name by which we know it as
to this day.
In 1731 disaster struck on June 4th a fire started in a candle makers
shop, the small fire quickly spread and much of
Blandford-Forum
was destroyed by a
devastating raging fire. It leveled the town, and destroyed
all the towns records ( incidentally most of the duplicate records
which
were held in Bristol were also destroyed in WWII during an air
raid
on the city ) However this disaster has a happy ending. For
Blandford-Forum was
quickly rebuilt by the industrious Georgians. In addition a
lot of
the rebuilding was done by the brothers John & William Bastard
over
a period of thirty year's, and the result is the magnificent Georgian
buildings which grace the town, and delight visitor's.
Blanford Forum. Like nearby Dorchester has literary connections, for
not only does the town appear in Thomas Hardy's
novel's as the Wessex town of Shottoesford Forum,
but Edmund Specer also mentions Blandford Forum in
his novel The Faerie Queene, published in 1590.
Blandford Forum has a long association with the British Army, and two
miles outside the town is Blandford Army Camp, ( a place I know
intimately as a young gunner I was stationed there prior to moving to
Piddlehinton ) Blandford camp is home to the Royal Signals
Regiment, and on the camp is a museum that chronicles military
communications thought the ages, included in the exhibits is the Enigma
code machine
that the German's thought was unbreakable, it was not and the code was
gradually broken by boffin's at the top secret decoding center
Bletchley Park. The museum is open to the public and is a fascinating
place to visit. and lean how the armed force's got over the
tricky problem of communicating. There is also the Blandford Town
museum which describes the town from the Stone Age to present day.
Blandford-Forum along with all the other Towns, and Villages, of Dorset
shows one exactly why Thomas Hardy loved this beautiful county so much.
What has the town got to offer the visitor. Blandford Forum boasts a
Georgian style Market Place, Markets continue to run in the
same
place every Thursday and
Saturday near the Church of St Peter and St Paul, which has stood grand
in the Market Place since 1739 and is a fine example of the Georgian
architecture that can be seen throughout the town. Georgian
Fayre Thousands of people attend the Georgian Fayre which
fills the town centre and is held in the first week of May each
year. The Fayre combines Georgian celebrations with
cultural presentations, stalls, and a fun fair on the grassy banks of
the Stour. The Great Dorset Steam Fair A must for
steam engine enthusiasts is an anual event held in the nearby village
of
Tarrant Hinton which is home to the Great Dorset
Steam Fair which can attract
250,000 in the last week of August each year. The fair is a showcase
for steam engines from across the UK and Europe. Craft stalls, camping,
and a large carnival are among the attractions. And a
throughly enjoyable experience not matter what your age.
There are two hotels.
The Crown is the largest hotel in the town, located in the town centre
next to the river Stour. An old Georgian Coaching House with an
interesting history, the Crown was originally an old galleried inn, but
burnt down in the fire of 1731. The subsequent Georgian building was
damaged by fire in 1937 requiring further rebuilding. There are plenty
of
lovely inviting guest houses, and holiday apartments to cater for the
visitor, such as
Bryanstone Cottage, there is a link to Bryanstone
Cottage on left of screen.
Well nothing much has changed in the town since the 19th century, today
it is
still a very busy,
bustling little place with very good shops,
lively public houses, and of course the beautiful Dorset countryside.
Yes for me at-least that is Blandford- Forum's greatest attraction the
wonderful rolling Dorsetshire
countryside,
and all the quaint pretty village's that surround Blandford Forum, this
is indeed an
area to delight walker's, artist's,and nature lover's alike.
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