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{{Short description|Town and civil parish in Dorset, England}}
{| border=1 cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" width=280 style=margin-left:10px
{{about|the town in Dorset, England}}
|-
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
!colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|Shaftesbury
{{Infobox UK place
|-
| official_name= Shaftesbury
|colspan=2 align=center|]
| static_image_2_name = ]
Gold Hill
| static_image_2_width =
|-
| static_image_2_alt =
|width="50%"|]:||{{gbmappingsmall|ST861228}}
| static_image_2_caption = ] of Shaftesbury
|-
| static_image_name= High Street, Shaftesbury - geograph.org.uk - 1440129.jpg
|width="50%"|Lat/Lon:||{{Coor dm NW|51|00|2|11}}
| static_image_caption= High Street
|-
| map_type= Dorset
|width="50%"|]:|| 6,665 (2001 Census)
| coordinates= {{coord|51.0059|-2.1969|display=inline,title}}
|-
| population= 9,162
|width="50%"|]:|| 3,112 (2001 Census)
| population_ref= (2021 census)<ref name="bua2011">{{cite web |title=Shaftesbury |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/admin/dorset/E04003434__shaftesbury/ |website=City population |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>
|-
| os_grid_reference= ST861228
|width="50%"|Formal status:||Town
| london_distance= 97 miles
|-
| civil_parish= Shaftesbury
!colspan=2 bgcolor="#ff9999"|Administration
| unitary_england= ]
|-
| lieutenancy_england= ]
|width="50%"|]:||align="left"|]
| region= South West England
|-
| country= England
|width="50%"|]:||]
| post_town= SHAFTESBURY
|-
| postcode_area= SP
|width="50%"|]:||]
| postcode_district= SP7
|-
| dial_code= 01747
!colspan=2 bgcolor="#ff9999"|Post Office and Telephone
| constituency_westminster= ]
|-
}}
|width="50%"|]:||Shaftesbury
] showing use of the name Shaston for Shaftesbury]]
|-

|width="50%"|]:||SP7
'''Shaftesbury''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|ɑː|f|t|s|b|ər|i|,_|ˈ|ʃ|æ|f|t|s|-}}) is a town and ] in ], England. It is on the ], {{convert|20|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} west of ] and {{convert|23|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} north-northeast of ], near the border with ]. It is the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset, being built about {{convert|215|m|ft|abbr=off}} ] on a ] hill on the edge of ].
|-

|width="50%"|]:||01747
The town looks over the ], part of the ] basin.
|-

Shaftesbury is the site of the former ], which was founded in 888 by ] and became one of the richest religious establishments in the country, before being destroyed in the ] in 1539. Adjacent to the abbey site is ], a steep ] street used in the 1970s as the setting for ]{{'}}s television advertisement for ] bread.

In the ] the town's civil parish had a population of 9,162.<ref name="bua2011">{{cite web |title=Shaftesbury |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/admin/dorset/E04003434__shaftesbury/ |website=City population |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>

==Toponymy==
Shaftesbury has acquired a number of names throughout its history. Writing in 1906, ] referred to four of these names from Celtic, Latin and English traditions in his book ''Highways & Byways in Dorset'':
{{blockquote|text=The city has had many names. It was, in the beginning, Caer Palladour. By the time of the Domesday Book it was Sceptesberie. It then, with all the affectation of a lady in an eighteenth-century lyric, called itself Sophonia. Lastly it became Shaston, and so the people call it to this day, while all the milestones around concern themselves only with recording the distances to "Shaston".|sign=Sir Frederick Treves|source=Highways & Byways in Dorset (1906)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Treves |first=Frederick |title=Highways and Byways in Dorset |publisher=Macmillan and Company |others=Illustrated by Joseph Pennell |year=1906 |pages=2 |language=en}}</ref>}}

The original ] name is first recorded in ] as ''Caer Vynnydd y Paladr'' (The Mountain Fort/City of the Spears)<ref>] (mid 13th century document largely regarded as an accurate account of the early history of the Britons)</ref> and ] records the name as ''Caer Palladour'' in his work of 1709.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gale |first1=Thomas |title=Antonini iter Britanniarum commentariis illustratum |date=1709 |location=London |page=132 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cm5bAAAAQAAJ&q=Caer+Palladour&pg=PT1 |language=la}}</ref> Though "Palladour" was described by one 19th-century directory as "mere invention", it has continued to be used as a poetic and alternative name for the town.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZYIAAAAQAAJ&q=sophonia+shaftesbury&pg=RA1-PA134|title=Topographical and Statistical Description of the County of Dorset|last=Cooke|first=George Alexander|year=1817|page=134|access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>

The English name was recorded in the ] of 1086 as Sceptesberie,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Domesday Book Online. Dorset S-Z|publisher=domesdaybook.co.uk|year=1999–2013|access-date=19 November 2013|url=http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/dorset3.html}}</ref> and the use of "Shaston" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|æ|s|t|ən}}) was recorded in 1831 in Samuel Lewis's ''A Topographical Dictionary of England''<ref name="Lewis1831">{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Samuel |url=https://archive.org/details/atopographicald00lewigoog |title=A Topographical Dictionary of England |publisher=S. Lewis |year=1831 |page=61 |access-date=17 December 2012 |via=]}}</ref> and in 1840 in ''The parliamentary gazetteer of England and Wales''.<ref name="gazetteer1840">{{cite book |author=England |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uNgHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA94 |title=The parliamentary gazetteer of England and Wales |others=Edited by G. G. Cunningham |year=1840 |page=94 |access-date=17 December 2012}}</ref>

] used both "Shaston" and "Palladour" to refer to the town in the fictional ] of his novels such as '']''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ross|first=Alexander|title=The Imprint of the Picturesque on Nineteenth-century British Fiction|url=https://archive.org/details/imprintofpicture0000ross|url-access=registration|quote=palladour tess.|access-date=19 November 2013|publisher=Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press|page=|year=1986|isbn=9780889201910}}</ref>

==History==
There is no substantive evidence that Shaftesbury was the "Caer Palladur" (or "Caer Palladwr") of Celtic and Roman times, and instead the town's recorded history dates from ].<ref>{{cite book|title=North Dorset District Official Guide|publisher=Home Publishing Company Ltd|pages=23–24|author=North Dorset District Council|year=c. 1983}}</ref> By the early eighth century there was an important minster church here,{{Sfn|Bettey|1974|pp=62-63}} and in 880 ] founded a ] (fortified settlement) here as a defence in the struggle with the ] invaders.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/English%20sites/957.html|title=Shaftesbury|publisher=Gatehouse Gazetteer|access-date=18 December 2020}}</ref> The burgh is recorded in the early-10th-century ] as one of only three that existed in the county (the others being at ] and 'Bredy' – which is probably ]).{{Sfn|Bettey|1974|pp=62-63}}
]]]

In 888 Alfred founded ], a ] ] by the town's east gate, and appointed his daughter Ethelgifu as the first ].{{Sfn|Bettey|1974|p=30}} ] founded two royal mints,<ref name=hyams>{{cite book |title=Dorset |first=John |last=Hyams |publisher=B. T. Batsford Ltd |year=1970 |page=197 |isbn=0-7134-0066-8}}</ref> which struck pennies bearing the town's name, and the abbey became the wealthiest Benedictine nunnery in England. On 20 February 981 the relics of St ], the teenage King of England, were transferred from Wareham and received at the abbey with great ceremony, thereafter turning Shaftesbury into a major site of pilgrimage for miracles of healing.

] died here in 1035, though he was buried at ].<ref name=hyams/> ] licensed a third mint for the town.<ref name=hyams/> By the time of the ] in 1066 Shaftesbury had 257 houses, though many were destroyed in the ensuing years of conflict, and by the time the ] was compiled twenty years later, there were only 177 houses remaining, though this still meant that Shaftesbury was the largest town in Dorset at that time.{{Sfn|Bettey|1974|p=63}} In the ] (1135–1154) between ] and ], an ] or fortified house was built on a small ] at the western edge of the hill on which the old town was built. The site on Castle Hill, also known locally as Boltbury, is now under grass and is a ].<ref name=gatehouse>{{cite web |url=http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/English%20sites/956.html |title=Shaftesbury Castle Hill |publisher=gatehouse-gazetteer |date=29 May 2015 |access-date=3 June 2015}}</ref>

In 1240 Cardinal ], legate to the ] of ] visited the abbey and confirmed a charter of 1191, the first entered in the Glastonbury chartulary. During the ] the abbey was the central focus of the town; the abbey's great wealth was acknowledged in a popular saying at the time, which stated that "If the abbot of Glastonbury could marry the abbess of Shaftesbury their heir would hold more land than the king of England".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/dorset/vol2/pp73-79 |title='House of Benedictine nuns: The abbey of Shaftesbury', in A History of the County of Dorset: Volume 2, ed. William Page (London, 1908), pp. 73–79 |publisher=University of London |access-date=13 May 2015 |work=British History Online}}</ref> In 1260 a charter to hold a market was granted. By 1340 the mayor had become a recognised figure, sworn in by the steward of the abbess. In 1392 ] confirmed a grant of two markets on different days. Edwardstowe, Shaftesbury's oldest surviving building, was built on Bimport at some time between 1400 and 1539. Also in this period a medieval farm owned by the Abbess of Shaftesbury was established, on a site now occupied by the Tesco supermarket car park.
]

In 1539, the last Abbess of Shaftesbury, Elizabeth Zouche, signed a deed of surrender, the (by then extremely wealthy) abbey was demolished, and its lands sold, leading to a temporary decline in the town. ] purchased the abbey and much of the town in 1540, but when he was later exiled for treason his lands were forfeit, and the lands passed to Pembroke then ], and finally to the Grosvenors.

Shaftesbury was a parliamentary constituency returning two members from 1296 to the ], when it was reduced to one, and in 1884 the separate constituency was abolished.

In ''Survey of Dorsetshire'', written in about 1630 by Thomas Gerard of the Dorset village of ], Shaftesbury is described as a "faire Thorough Faire, much frequented by Travellers to and from London".{{Sfn|Bettey|1974|p=129}}

The town was broadly Parliamentarian in the ], but was in Royalist hands. ] fell to Parliamentary forces in 1643; Parliamentary forces surrounded the town in August 1645, when it was a centre of local ] activity. The clubmen were arrested and sent to trial in ]. Shaftesbury took no part in the ] of 1685.

In the 17th century the cloth industry formed part of Shaftesbury's economy, though much of the actual production took place as a ] in the surrounding area. In the 18th century the town produced a coarse white woollen cloth called 'swanskin', that was used by fishermen of ] and for uniforms.{{Sfn|Bettey|1974|pp=75-76}} ] also became important around this time, though with the later advent of ] this subsequently declined, resulting in unemployment, starvation and emigration, with 350 families leaving for Canada.<ref name=loaf>{{cite web|url=http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2009/08/more-to-it-than-a-brown-loaf/|title=More to it than a brown loaf|date=August 2009|author=Tony Burton-Page|publisher=Dorset Life|access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref> ] and ] were also significant in the 17th and 18th centuries, and like other Dorset towns such as ] and ], Shaftesbury became known for its beer.{{Sfn|Bettey|1974}}

The railways however bypassed the town, which had consequences for Shaftesbury's economy; during the 19th century the town's brewing industry was reduced to serving only local markets, as towns elsewhere in the country could transport their produce more cheaply.{{Sfn|Bettey|1974}} During the 19th century the population of the town grew little.{{Sfn|Bettey|1974|pp=72-73}}

]]]
The town hall was built in 1837 by ] after the guildhall was pulled down to widen High Street. It has been designated by ] as a Grade II listed building.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1108741 |desc=Town Hall |access-date=18 June 2023}}</ref> ] is next to the 15th-century St Peter's Church which is Grade II* listed.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1292132 |desc=Church of St Peter |access-date=18 June 2023 |fewer-links=yes}}</ref> The ] was constructed on Bimport in the mid-19th century with a legacy from the wife of the ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Emrys-Roberts |first=Meyrick |url= |title=The Cottage Hospitals, 1859-1990 |publisher=Tern Publications |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-9517136-0-0 |location=Motcombe, Dorset |language=en}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=May 2023}}

In 1918 Lord Stalbridge, 2nd Baron Stalbridge, Hugh Grosvenor, sold a large portion of the town, which was purchased by a syndicate and auctioned piece by piece over three days.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2008/03/the-fall-of-the-house-of-stalbridge/ |title=The fall of the House of Stalbridge |publisher=Dorset Life Magazine |date=March 2008 |author=Alan J Miller |access-date=19 May 2015}}</ref> The entire Stalbridge Estate of some 13,500 acres was sold and the title became extinct with the death of Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Stalbridge in 1949. His only son and heir had been killed in a flying accident in 1930.

Most of Shaftesbury's buildings date from no earlier than the 18th century, as the ] and most of the medieval buildings have not survived.

==Governance==
In the ], Shaftesbury is in the ], represented since 2015 by ] of the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Dorset North Parliamentary constituency |work=Election 2015 |publisher=] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000839 |access-date=10 May 2015}}</ref> In local government, Shaftesbury is administered by ] (a ]) and Shaftesbury Town Council,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://towncouncil.shaftesburydorset.com/ |title=Welcome to Shaftesbury Town Council |publisher=Shaftesbury Town Council |work=shaftesburydorset.com |access-date=6 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405023327/http://towncouncil.shaftesburydorset.com/ |archive-date=5 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which has responsibilities that include open spaces and recreational facilities, allotments, litter, street markets, public conveniences, grants to voluntary organisations, cemetery provision, bus shelters, crime prevention initiatives, civic events and the town hall, planning (as a consultee) and the war memorial.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shaftesburytowncouncil.co.uk/about/what-we-do |title=What We Do |publisher=Shaftesbury Town Council |access-date=16 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802205252/http://www.shaftesburytowncouncil.co.uk/about/what-we-do |archive-date=2 August 2015 }}</ref>

Shaftesbury is covered by an electoral ward called Shaftesbury Town, which elects two members to Dorset Council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Area profile for Shaftesbury Town |url=https://gi.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/insights/AreaProfiles/Ward/shaftesbury-town |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Dorset Council}}</ref> Prior to ], the town elected one member of ]<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Electoral division profiles 2013 |url=https://www.dorsetforyou.com/390881 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925100712/https://www.dorsetforyou.com/390881 |archive-date=25 September 2015 |website=DorsetForYou |publisher=Dorset County Council |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> and four members of ].<ref name=legislation>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2014/9780111115473?view=plain |title=The North Dorset (Electoral Changes) Order 2014 |work=legislation.gov.uk |access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref>], from Park Walk]]

==Geography==
The old centre of Shaftesbury is sited on a westward-pointing ] of high ground in northeast Dorset, on the ] of a range of hills that extend south and east into ] and neighbouring ].<ref name=Survey2013>Ordnance Survey (2013), 1:25,000 Explorer Map, Sheet 118 (Shaftesbury and Cranborne Chase), {{ISBN|978-0-319-24123-3}}</ref><ref>John Bartholomew & Son Ltd (1980), 1:100,000 National Map Series, Sheet 4 (Dorset), {{ISBN|0-7028-0327-8}}</ref> The town's built-up area extends down the promontory slopes to lower ground at St James, Alcester and Enmore Green, and eastwards across the ] towards the hill's dip slope.<ref name=Survey2013/> Shaftesbury's altitude is between about {{convert|165|m|ft|abbr=off}} at the lowest streets below the promontory, to about {{convert|235|m|ft|abbr=on}} at Wincombe Business Park on the hilltop in the north, with the promontory and town centre being at about {{convert|215|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Survey2013/> Below the town to the west is the ], which undulates between about {{convert|60|and|110|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}.<ref>Ornance Survey (2005), 1:50,000 Landranger Map, Sheet 183 (Yeovil & Frome), {{ISBN|978-0-319-22861-6}}</ref> About {{convert|2|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} west of the town and within the Blackmore Vale is the conical mound of ], visible for miles and home to Duncliffe Wood and a nature reserve. The countryside east of the town is part of the ] ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccwwdaonb.org.uk/docs/General_MapSW.pdf |title=Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty |publisher=ccwwdaonb.org.uk |access-date=27 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808041911/http://ccwwdaonb.org.uk/docs/General_MapSW.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2013 }}</ref>

Geologically, Shaftesbury's hill mostly comprises ], which is overlain by Lower ] in the east. These date from the ], with the greensand having been formed in the ] and early ], and the chalk also in the Cenomanian. The greensand is composed of three ]: the oldest and lowest is a layer of Cann Sand, which is found in the lower parts of the town, such as St James and Alcester, that are below the promontory; above this is a layer of Shaftesbury Sandstone, which generally forms the steepest slopes around the promontory, and on top of this is a layer of Boyne Hollow Chert, which is found on top of the hill and on which most of the town is built. Below the Cann Sand, on the lower slopes of the hill to the north, west and south of the town, are extensive landslip deposits.<ref>British Geological Survey (1994), 1:50,000 Series England and Wales Sheet 313, Shaftesbury Solid and Drift Geology, {{ISBN|0-7518-2823-8}}</ref>
]

==Economy==
In 2012 there were 3,400 people employed in Shaftesbury, 65% of whom were working full-time and 35% part-time.<ref name=profile>{{cite web|url=https://www.dorsetforyou.com/article/343604/Shaftesbury-town-profile |title=Shaftesbury town profile |work=dorsetforyou.com |date=3 November 2014 |access-date=16 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710020114/https://www.dorsetforyou.com/article/343604/Shaftesbury-town-profile |archive-date=10 July 2015 }}</ref> Excluding agriculture, the most important employment sectors were public administration, education and health (31% of non-agricultural employment), production and construction (29%), and distribution, accommodation and food (26%).<ref name=profile/> Significant employers include ], ], ], ], ], ], Wessex Electricals, Stalbridge Linen Services, Blackmore Press and ].<ref name=profile/> There are two industrial estates in the town: Longmead Industrial Estate, covering {{convert|7.7|ha|acre|frac=4}}, and Wincombe Business Park, covering {{convert|6.5|ha|acre|frac=4}}.<ref name=profile/>

In 2005 there were 75 shops in the town, with a total floorspace of {{convert|78000|sqft|m2|order=flip}}. The retail catchment area for major food shopping extends about {{convert|4+1/2|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} in all directions. National ] with a presence in the town include ], ], Somerfield, ], Tesco and ].<ref name=profile/>

A site has been identified for a projected parkway station on the ] main railway line. It would be situated to the north of the town, beneath the A350 road, and a bus service would connect it with the town.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}} Currently the nearest railway station is located in neighbouring ].

==Demography==
In the ] Shaftesbury's civil parish had 3,493 dwellings,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11128341&c=Shaftesbury&d=16&e=62&g=6418052&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1433061469234&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2481 |title=Area: Shaftesbury (Parish). Dwellings, Household Spaces and Accommodation Type, 2011 (KS401EW)|publisher=Office for National Statistics |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |access-date=6 February 2015}}</ref> 3,235 households and a population of 7,314.<ref name=ons>{{cite web |title=Area: Shaftesbury (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11128341&c=Shaftesbury&d=16&e=62&g=6418052&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1433061124578&enc=1 |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=6 February 2015}}</ref> The average age of inhabitants was 43, compared to 39.3 for England as a whole. 22.1% of inhabitants were age 65 or older, compared to 16.4% for England as a whole.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11128341&c=Shaftesbury&d=16&e=62&g=6418052&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1431763097508&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2474 |title=Area: Shaftesbury (Parish). Age Structure, 2011 (KS102EW) |publisher=Office for National Statistics |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |access-date=16 May 2015}}</ref> 92% of Shaftesbury's residents were born in the United Kingdom, compared to 86.2% for England as a whole.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11128341&c=Shaftesbury&d=16&e=62&g=6418052&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1433060431375&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2478 |title=Area: Shaftesbury (Parish). Country of Birth, 2011 (KS204EW) |publisher=Office for National Statistics |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |access-date=31 May 2015}}</ref> Previous census figures for the total population of the civil parish are shown in the table below:

{| class="wikitable" style="width:800px;"
! colspan="15"| <span style="margin-left:80px;">Census Population of Shaftesbury Parish 1921—2021 <small>(except 1941)</small></span>
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="color:height:15px;"| Census
!| 1921
!| 1931
!| 1951
!| 1961
!| 1971
!| 1981
!| 1991
!| 2001
!2011
!2021
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="color:height:15px;"|Population
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| *1,812
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| *2,819
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| *3,303
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| 3,372
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| 3,980
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| 3,940
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| 6,180
| style="background:#F2F2F2;"| 6,680
|7,314
|9,162
|- style="text-align:center;"
| colspan="15" style="background:#f2f2f2;"| <small>Asterisks (*) indicate a boundary change<br />Source:Dorset County Council<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dorsetforyou.com/article/345043/Parishes-M-Z-1921-2001-Census-Years |title=Parishes (M-Z), 1921–2001 Census Years |publisher=Dorset County Council |work=dorsetforyou.com |access-date=23 May 2015 |date=27 May 2014}}</ref></small>
|} |}
{{GBdot|Shaftesbury - Dorset}}
{{dablink|For other uses, see ]}}
'''Shaftesbury''' is a ] in North ], ], situated on the ] near the ] border 20 ]s west of ]. The town is built 750 ] (over 200 ]s) above sea level on the side of a ] and ] ], which is part of ], the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset. It is one of the oldest and highest towns in ].


==Culture, art and media==
In ], the town had a ] of 6,665 with 3,112 dwellings, only a small increase from ]. There are currently 4 first schools, a middle school and an upper school, but this is soon to change to 5 primary schools and an enlarged secondary school. Major employers include ], ] (a commercial laundry), ], ] and the ].
]
Shaftesbury Arts Centre was established in 1957 and stages a variety of exhibitions, performances, workshops and training courses. It is based in the old covered market in the town centre and is a charitable company that is run wholly by its volunteer members.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk/about-us |title=About Us |publisher=Shaftesbury Arts Centre |access-date=30 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511002716/http://www.shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk/about-us |archive-date=11 May 2015 }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=May 2023}}


Shaftesbury has two museums: Gold Hill Museum at the top of Gold Hill, and Shaftesbury Abbey Museum in the abbey grounds.<ref name=loaf/><ref name=abbeymuseum>{{cite web |url=http://shaftesburyabbey.org.uk/ |title=Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Gardens |publisher=Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Gardens |access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref> Gold Hill Museum was founded in 1946 and displays many artefacts that relate to the history of Shaftesbury and the surrounding area, including Dorset's oldest fire engine, dating from 1744.<ref name=loaf/> Shaftesbury Abbey Museum tells the story of the abbey and also has a herb garden and medieval orchard.<ref name=abbeymuseum/>
Many of the older buildings in the town are of the local greensand, while others built from the grey ] ], much of which was salvaged from the demolished Shaftesbury Abbey, and have ]ed roofs. ] is one of the main industries in the town.


Shaftesbury Snowdrops is a Diamond Jubilee Community Legacy with the aim of creating a series of free and accessible ] walks by planting snowdrops within the publicly open spaces and along the pathways throughout the town. The project was started in the winter of 2012 with the planting of 60,000 bulbs.<ref>{{cite web |date=15 December 2012 |title=Hundreds of Shaftesbury snowdrops planted after Diamond Jubilee |url=http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/Hundreds-Shaftesbury-snowdrops-planted-Diamond/story-17587450-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122152504/http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/Hundreds-Shaftesbury-snowdrops-planted-Diamond/story-17587450-detail/story.html |archive-date=22 January 2015 |access-date=22 January 2015 |website= |publisher=Blackmore Vale Magazine |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Since 2013 there has been an annual Snowdrop Festival to encourage tourists to see the snowdrops in flower.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 February 2013 |title=Shaftesbury celebrates the snowdrop |url=http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/Shaftesbury-celebrates-snowdrop/story-18090175-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122150948/http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/Shaftesbury-celebrates-snowdrop/story-18090175-detail/story.html |archive-date=22 January 2015 |access-date=22 January 2015 |website= |publisher=Blackmore Vale Magazine |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Highlights of the festival include the Snowdrop Art Exhibition<ref>{{cite web |last=Dart |first=Fiona |date=18 February 2013 |title=Shaftesbury Snowdrop Festival Art Exhibition 2013 |url=http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/pictures/PHOTOS-Shaftesbury-Snowdrop-Festival-Art/pictures-18182409-detail/pictures.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122133906/http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/pictures/PHOTOS-Shaftesbury-Snowdrop-Festival-Art/pictures-18182409-detail/pictures.html |archive-date=22 January 2015 |access-date=22 January 2015 |website= |publisher=Blackmore Vale Magazine}}</ref> and the Snowdrop Lantern Parade.<ref>{{cite web |last=Norman |first=Jane |date=29 January 2014 |title=Shaftesbury Snowdrop Festival – starts 15th Feb |url=http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/pictures/PHOTOS-Shaftesbury-Snowdrop-Festival-starts-15th/pictures-20519657-detail/pictures.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122150945/http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/pictures/PHOTOS-Shaftesbury-Snowdrop-Festival-starts-15th/pictures-20519657-detail/pictures.html |archive-date=22 January 2015 |access-date=22 January 2015 |website= |publisher=Blackmore Vale Magazine}}</ref> In 2014 Shaftesbury Snowdrops started a heritage collection of rare and unusual snowdrops.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shaftesbury Snowdrops Heritage Collection launched|url=http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/PHOTOS-Shaftesbury-Snowdrops-Heritage-Collection/story-20643190-detail/story.html|website=www.blackmorevale.co.uk|publisher=Blackmore Vale Magazine|access-date=22 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122125355/http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/PHOTOS-Shaftesbury-Snowdrops-Heritage-Collection/story-20643190-detail/story.html|archive-date=22 January 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> These are held in trust for the people of Shaftesbury and displayed in Shaftesbury Abbey during the annual Snowdrop Festival. The collection is being built through sponsorship and donations.
The town looks over the ], part of the river ] basin. From different viewpoints, it is possible to see at least as far as ] to the north-west, and the ] to the south.


Gold Hill Fair usually occurs in the first weekend of July and has food stalls, arts stalls and local music that can be found in the abbey ruins.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://shaftesburyrotaryclub.org/upcoming-events/gold-hill-fair/|title=Gold Hill Fair – Shaftesbury Rotary Club|work=Shaftesbury Rotary Club|access-date=2017-05-12|language=en-GB}}</ref>
The town is famous for ], a steep cobbled street featured on the cover of countless books about Dorset and rural England, and the site of ] ]s for ] ], directed by ]. At the top of the street is the ] ]'s ], one of the few pre-] buildings remaining in the town. The town is also famous for its ruined Abbey and nearby ].


In 2016, Shaftesbury's first open arts fringe festival was organised and has since grown to become one of the key fringe festivals in the country. The fringe is always held on the first weekend in July and attracts an eccentric mix of performers from local singers to celebrity comics heading for Edinburgh.
A ] is held in the town on Thursdays. The Blackmore Vale is ]'s ''Vale of the Little Dairies'', and until ] Shaftesbury was the location of one of the last remaining ]s in Britain. The site has since been redeveloped as a Supermarket.
] Gold Hill, with a ]ed wall to the right, a ] on the edge of Shaftesbury Abbey ]<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1004559 |desc=Abbey precinct wall on Gold Hill |access-date=18 June 2023 |fewer-links=yes}}</ref>]]


Local news and television programmes are provided by ] and ]. Television signals are received from the ] TV transmitter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-05-01 |title=Full Freeview on the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter |url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Mendip |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=UK Free TV |language=en}}</ref>
The town features in ]'s ] as ''Shaston'', of particular significance in '']''.


Shaftesbury's local radio stations are ], ], and ]. The town is home to a volunteer-run ] station, Alfred, broadcasting local news, speech programming and music on 107.3 FM and online.<ref>{{cite web |last=Martin |first=Roy |date=5 April 2020 |title=Alfred launches daily radio show ahead of FM |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/04/alfred-launches-daily-radio-show-ahead-of-fm/ |accessdate=2022-05-11 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 December 2019 |title=Four community radio licence awards: December 2019 |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/184442/december-2019-community-radio-licence-awards.pdf |publisher=]}}</ref> It was awarded an ] licence in 2020, having grown from a weekly podcast which went daily during the ].<ref>{{cite web |date=12 November 2021 |title=Alfred the Great: Podcast picks up best in UK award |url=https://blackmorevale.net/alfred-the-great-podcast-picks-up-best-in-uk-award/ |website=The New Blackmore Vale |language=en-GB}}</ref> The podcast won the gold award in the community radio awards in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |date=25 October 2021 |title=All the winners from the community radio awards in 2021 |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2021/10/24/all-the-winners-from-the-communty-radio-awards-2021/ |website=RadioToday |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== History ==
Although Shaftesbury's recorded history dates from ] times, it may have been the ] Caer Palladur. Its first written record as a town is in the '']''. ] founded a ] (fortified settlement) here in ] as a defence in the struggle with the Danish invaders. Alfred and his daughter ] founded Shaftesbury Abbey in ], which was a spur to the growing importance of the town. ] founded three royal mints, which struck pennies bearing the town's name, and the abbey became the wealthiest ] ] in England. On February 20th ] the relics of St ] were translated from Wareham and received with great ceremony, thereafter turning Shaftesbury into a major site of pilgrimage for miracles of healing. In ] ], legate to the ] of ] visited the abbey and confirmed a charter of ], the first entered in the ] ].


===Representations===
] died here in ]. In the ], the town was known as ''Scaepterbyrg''; its ownership was equally shared between King and Abbey. The Abbey was in the ] the central focus of the town. The shrine of ], who is interred here, attracted ] from afar.
] used the names ''Shaston'' or ''Palladour'' to describe Shaftesbury in the fictional ] of his novels. In '']'' he described the loss of the town's former architectural glories, principally the abbey:


''"Vague imaginings of its castle, its three mints, its magnificent apsidal abbey, the chief glory of south Wessex, its twelve churches, its shrines, chantries, hospitals, its gabled freestone mansions—all now ruthlessly swept away—throw the visitor, even against his will, into a pensive melancholy, which the stimulating atmosphere and limitless landscape around him can scarcely dispel."''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hardy |first=Thomas |url=https://en.wikisource.org/Jude_the_Obscure/Part_4/Chapter_1 |title=Jude the Obscure |publisher=Osgood, McIlvaine, & Co. |year=1895 |language=en |chapter=Part 4, Chapter 1 |via=]}}</ref>
In ], a charter to hold a ] was granted. In ], ] confirmed a grant of two markets on different days.


In the 1970s ] used ], a steep cobbled street in the town, as the setting for a television advertisement for ] bread, in which a bread delivery boy is seen pushing his bicycle up the street before freewheeling back down. The advertisement made the street nationally famous.<ref name=loaf/>
By ], the ] had become a recognised figure, sworn in by the Steward of the Abbess.


==Transport==
By the time of the reformation the Abbey had become exceedingly wealthy. It was said at the time of the ] that "if the Abbess of Shaftesbury and the Abbot of ] had been able to wed, their son would have been richer than the King of England" such were the lands that had been bequethed.
Shaftesbury is served by the ], between ] and ], and the ], which connects ] and ]. The town is {{convert|7|miles|km}} south of the main ] trunk road between ] and ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=A30/Wilton - Shaftesbury - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki |url=https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/index.php?title=A30/Wilton_-_Shaftesbury |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=www.sabre-roads.org.uk}}</ref>
In ], the last Abbess of Shaftesbury, ], signed a deed of surrender, the abbey was demolished, and its lands sold, leading to a temporary decline in the town. Sir ] of Wardour purchased the abbey and much of the town in ], but when he was later ]d for ] his lands were forfeit, and the lands passed to Pembroke then ], and finally to the Grosvenors.


Shaftesbury has never had a direct railway connection. The challenging topography likely played a significant role in this,{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} as constructing a railway up the steep slopes would have been difficult and costly. In 1859, the ] established a station at ], {{convert|2+1/2|miles|km}} north of Shaftesbury. This station allowed residents and visitors to access the broader railway network.
Shaftesbury was a parliamentary ] returning two members from ] to the ], when it was reduced to one, and in ] the separate constituency was abolished.


Semley station closed in the ] of 1966. The closest railway station to Shaftesbury is now ], {{convert|4|miles|km}} northwest of the town, on the ] from ] to Exeter.<ref name=":0" />
The town was broadly Parliamentarian in the ], but was in ] hands. ] fell to Parliamentary forces in ]; Parliamentary forces surrounded the town in August ], when it was a centre of local ] activity. The clubmen were arrested and sent to trial in ]. Shaftesbury took no part in the ] Rebellion of ].


Local bus services connect the town to surrounding villages and towns.
The town hall was built in ] by Earl Grosvenor after the Guildhall was pulled down to widen the high street.


==Amenities==
The major employers in the 18th and 19th centuries were buttonmaking and weaving. The former became a victim of mechanisation, and this caused unemployment and emigration.


Shaftesbury has a ] club, ], who play at Cockrams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shaftesbury |url=http://www.s299639758.websitehome.co.uk/shaftesbury.html# |access-date=8 February 2013 |publisher=}}{{dead link|date=January 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> The Shaftesbury Lido, an open air swimming pool at Barton Hill, is open during the summer months.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shaftesbury Lido |url=https://www.shaftesbury-tc.gov.uk/services/lido/ |access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>
The five turnpikes which met at Shaftesbury ensured that the town had a good coaching trade. The railways, however, bypassed Shaftesbury, and this infuenced the subsequent pattern of its growth.


Shaftesbury has a community hospital, opened in 1874 and named Westminster Memorial Hospital in memory of the ], whose widow donated the site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Westminster Memorial Hospital - Shaftesbury |url=https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/our-services-hospitals/community-hospitals/westminster-memorial-hospital |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=Dorset HealthCare |language=en}}</ref> The town has a public library operated by Dorset Council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shaftesbury Library |url=https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/libraries-history-culture/libraries/find-your-local-library/dorset-libraries/-/ddl_display/ddl/279485/432951/maximized |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=Dorset Council}}</ref>
In ], Lord ] sold a large portion of the town, which was purchased by a syndicate and ] piece by piece over three days.


==Notable people==
Most of the ] and ] buildings have now been ruined, with most of the town dating from the ] to present. ] wrote:
], King of England, Denmark, and Norway, died in Shaftesbury on 12 November 1035; he was buried in ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eagles |first=Robin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P72OrdMouDMC&dq=%22shaftesbury%22&pg=PA61 |title=England |publisher=Rough Guides |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-85828-799-7 |edition=illustrated |page=61 |language=en}}</ref>
:''"Vague imaginings of its castle, its three mints, its magnificent apsidal Abbey, the chief glory of south Wessex, its twelve churches, its shrines, chantries, hospitals ... all now ruthlessley swept away&mdash;throw the visitor, even against his will, into a pensive melancholy."''


Poet ] lived there his whole life, from 1619 to 1689.
==External links==

*
Philosopher ] (1671–1713), an influential thinker on modern aesthetics.
*

*
Actor ], best known for his portrayals of ] and ] in the 1948 ] film ], was born there.

Actor ], known for ''Blue Heelers'', ''Prisoner: Cell Block H'' and ''Neighbours'' was born in 1926 in Shaftesbury.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bourne |first=Ernie |date=26 October 2024 |title=Ernie Bourne - IMDb |website=] |url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0100061/ }}</ref>

Architect ], noted for his Gothic Revival churches in the United States, including ] in New York, was born in Shaftesbury.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Howe |first=Jeffery |date=1998 |title=19th Century Architecture: Richard Upjohn |url=https://losthistory.net/fa267/upjohn.html |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=losthistory.net}}</ref>

Electronic music producer Seamus Malliagh, known professionally as ], grew up in Shaftesbury.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colin |first=Joyce |date=21 September 2017 |title=Life Is Boring as Shit, But Iglooghost's Music Can Help You Escape |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/yw3p7k/life-is-boring-as-shit-but-iglooghosts-music-can-help-you-escape |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=] |language=en}}</ref>

Electronic music producer and artist ] grew up in Shaftesbury.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Katie |title=Interview: Kai Whiston |url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/kai-whiston-interview/ |website=] |access-date=2024-06-07}}</ref>

] (1911–1986 ), born in Bimport, was elected Mayor of Shaftesbury (1970) and was ] of ], London from 1951 to 1966.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 June 1986 |title=Many Mourn Former Mayor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-dorset-western-gazette/107733339/ |work=North Dorset Western Gazette |pages=3}}</ref>

], BBC Radio and former ] pirate radio DJ lived in St James.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-10-07 |title=Shaftesbury’s Johnnie Walker Talks About A Lifetime In Radio and Life After Death |url=https://thisisalfred.com/arts/shaftesburys-johnnie-walker-talks-about-a-lifetime-in-radio-and-life-after-death/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241212034339/https://thisisalfred.com/arts/shaftesburys-johnnie-walker-talks-about-a-lifetime-in-radio-and-life-after-death/ |archive-date=2024-12-12 |access-date=2025-01-08 |work=This is Alfred |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==See also==
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
* Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1979. ''Dorset''. London: Faber & Faber.
* The 1985 AA illustrated guide to the country towns and villages of Britain.


===Notes===
<center>]<br>
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
'''Shaftesbury elected two members to the<br>
''']'''


===General references===
* {{cite book |title=Dorset |author=Bettey |first=J. H. |series=City & County Histories |language=en |year=1974 |publisher=David & Charles |isbn=0-7153-6371-9}}
* Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1979. ''Dorset''. London: Faber & Faber.
* {{Cite book |last=Berry |first=Geoffrey |title=AA Illustrated Guide to: Country Towns and Villages of Britain |publisher=Drive Publications |others=Contributions from ] |year=1985 |isbn=9780903356343 |language=en}}


==External links==
]
*
*
{{commons category|Shaftesbury}}
{{Wikivoyage|Shaftesbury}}
{{Dorset}}
{{North Dorset}}


{{authority control}}
]

]
]
]

Latest revision as of 11:58, 8 January 2025

Town and civil parish in Dorset, England This article is about the town in Dorset, England. For other uses, see Shaftesbury (disambiguation).

Human settlement in England
Shaftesbury
High Street
Image: 150 pixelsCoat of Arms of Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is located in DorsetShaftesburyShaftesburyLocation within Dorset
Population9,162 (2021 census)
OS grid referenceST861228
• London97 miles
Civil parish
  • Shaftesbury
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSHAFTESBURY
Postcode districtSP7
Dialling code01747
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Dorset
51°00′21″N 2°11′49″W / 51.0059°N 2.1969°W / 51.0059; -2.1969
Old milestone in Blandford Forum showing use of the name Shaston for Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury (/ˈʃɑːftsbəri, ˈʃæfts-/) is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is on the A30 road, 20 miles (32 kilometres) west of Salisbury and 23 miles (37 kilometres) north-northeast of Dorchester, near the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset, being built about 215 metres (705 feet) above sea level on a greensand hill on the edge of Cranborne Chase.

The town looks over the Blackmore Vale, part of the River Stour basin.

Shaftesbury is the site of the former Shaftesbury Abbey, which was founded in 888 by King Alfred and became one of the richest religious establishments in the country, before being destroyed in the dissolution in 1539. Adjacent to the abbey site is Gold Hill, a steep cobbled street used in the 1970s as the setting for Ridley Scott's television advertisement for Hovis bread.

In the 2021 census the town's civil parish had a population of 9,162.

Toponymy

Shaftesbury has acquired a number of names throughout its history. Writing in 1906, Sir Frederick Treves referred to four of these names from Celtic, Latin and English traditions in his book Highways & Byways in Dorset:

The city has had many names. It was, in the beginning, Caer Palladour. By the time of the Domesday Book it was Sceptesberie. It then, with all the affectation of a lady in an eighteenth-century lyric, called itself Sophonia. Lastly it became Shaston, and so the people call it to this day, while all the milestones around concern themselves only with recording the distances to "Shaston".

— Sir Frederick Treves, Highways & Byways in Dorset (1906)

The original Celtic name is first recorded in Medieval Welsh literature as Caer Vynnydd y Paladr (The Mountain Fort/City of the Spears) and Thomas Gale records the name as Caer Palladour in his work of 1709. Though "Palladour" was described by one 19th-century directory as "mere invention", it has continued to be used as a poetic and alternative name for the town.

The English name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Sceptesberie, and the use of "Shaston" (/ˈʃæstən/) was recorded in 1831 in Samuel Lewis's A Topographical Dictionary of England and in 1840 in The parliamentary gazetteer of England and Wales.

Thomas Hardy used both "Shaston" and "Palladour" to refer to the town in the fictional Wessex of his novels such as Jude the Obscure.

History

There is no substantive evidence that Shaftesbury was the "Caer Palladur" (or "Caer Palladwr") of Celtic and Roman times, and instead the town's recorded history dates from Anglo-Saxon times. By the early eighth century there was an important minster church here, and in 880 Alfred the Great founded a burgh (fortified settlement) here as a defence in the struggle with the Danish invaders. The burgh is recorded in the early-10th-century Burghal Hidage as one of only three that existed in the county (the others being at Wareham and 'Bredy' – which is probably Bridport).

The ruins of Shaftesbury Abbey

In 888 Alfred founded Shaftesbury Abbey, a Benedictine nunnery by the town's east gate, and appointed his daughter Ethelgifu as the first abbess. Æthelstan founded two royal mints, which struck pennies bearing the town's name, and the abbey became the wealthiest Benedictine nunnery in England. On 20 February 981 the relics of St Edward the Martyr, the teenage King of England, were transferred from Wareham and received at the abbey with great ceremony, thereafter turning Shaftesbury into a major site of pilgrimage for miracles of healing.

King Canute died here in 1035, though he was buried at Winchester. Edward the Confessor licensed a third mint for the town. By the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 Shaftesbury had 257 houses, though many were destroyed in the ensuing years of conflict, and by the time the Domesday Book was compiled twenty years later, there were only 177 houses remaining, though this still meant that Shaftesbury was the largest town in Dorset at that time. In the first English civil war (1135–1154) between Empress Matilda and King Stephen, an adulterine castle or fortified house was built on a small promontory at the western edge of the hill on which the old town was built. The site on Castle Hill, also known locally as Boltbury, is now under grass and is a scheduled monument.

In 1240 Cardinal Otto of Tonengo, legate to the Apostolic See of Pope Gregory IX visited the abbey and confirmed a charter of 1191, the first entered in the Glastonbury chartulary. During the Middle Ages the abbey was the central focus of the town; the abbey's great wealth was acknowledged in a popular saying at the time, which stated that "If the abbot of Glastonbury could marry the abbess of Shaftesbury their heir would hold more land than the king of England". In 1260 a charter to hold a market was granted. By 1340 the mayor had become a recognised figure, sworn in by the steward of the abbess. In 1392 Richard II confirmed a grant of two markets on different days. Edwardstowe, Shaftesbury's oldest surviving building, was built on Bimport at some time between 1400 and 1539. Also in this period a medieval farm owned by the Abbess of Shaftesbury was established, on a site now occupied by the Tesco supermarket car park.

Edwardstowe

In 1539, the last Abbess of Shaftesbury, Elizabeth Zouche, signed a deed of surrender, the (by then extremely wealthy) abbey was demolished, and its lands sold, leading to a temporary decline in the town. Sir Thomas Arundell purchased the abbey and much of the town in 1540, but when he was later exiled for treason his lands were forfeit, and the lands passed to Pembroke then Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, and finally to the Grosvenors.

Shaftesbury was a parliamentary constituency returning two members from 1296 to the Reform Act of 1832, when it was reduced to one, and in 1884 the separate constituency was abolished.

In Survey of Dorsetshire, written in about 1630 by Thomas Gerard of the Dorset village of Trent, Shaftesbury is described as a "faire Thorough Faire, much frequented by Travellers to and from London".

The town was broadly Parliamentarian in the Civil War, but was in Royalist hands. Wardour Castle fell to Parliamentary forces in 1643; Parliamentary forces surrounded the town in August 1645, when it was a centre of local clubmen activity. The clubmen were arrested and sent to trial in Sherborne. Shaftesbury took no part in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.

In the 17th century the cloth industry formed part of Shaftesbury's economy, though much of the actual production took place as a cottage industry in the surrounding area. In the 18th century the town produced a coarse white woollen cloth called 'swanskin', that was used by fishermen of Newfoundland and for uniforms. Buttonmaking also became important around this time, though with the later advent of industrialisation this subsequently declined, resulting in unemployment, starvation and emigration, with 350 families leaving for Canada. Malting and brewing were also significant in the 17th and 18th centuries, and like other Dorset towns such as Dorchester and Blandford Forum, Shaftesbury became known for its beer.

The railways however bypassed the town, which had consequences for Shaftesbury's economy; during the 19th century the town's brewing industry was reduced to serving only local markets, as towns elsewhere in the country could transport their produce more cheaply. During the 19th century the population of the town grew little.

St Peter's Church and Shaftesbury Town Hall

The town hall was built in 1837 by Earl Grosvenor after the guildhall was pulled down to widen High Street. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building. Shaftesbury Town Hall is next to the 15th-century St Peter's Church which is Grade II* listed. The Westminster Memorial Hospital was constructed on Bimport in the mid-19th century with a legacy from the wife of the Duke of Westminster.

In 1918 Lord Stalbridge, 2nd Baron Stalbridge, Hugh Grosvenor, sold a large portion of the town, which was purchased by a syndicate and auctioned piece by piece over three days. The entire Stalbridge Estate of some 13,500 acres was sold and the title became extinct with the death of Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Stalbridge in 1949. His only son and heir had been killed in a flying accident in 1930.

Most of Shaftesbury's buildings date from no earlier than the 18th century, as the Saxon and most of the medieval buildings have not survived.

Governance

In the United Kingdom national parliament, Shaftesbury is in the North Dorset parliamentary constituency, represented since 2015 by Simon Hoare of the Conservative Party. In local government, Shaftesbury is administered by Dorset Council (a unitary authority) and Shaftesbury Town Council, which has responsibilities that include open spaces and recreational facilities, allotments, litter, street markets, public conveniences, grants to voluntary organisations, cemetery provision, bus shelters, crime prevention initiatives, civic events and the town hall, planning (as a consultee) and the war memorial.

Shaftesbury is covered by an electoral ward called Shaftesbury Town, which elects two members to Dorset Council. Prior to changes in 2019, the town elected one member of Dorset County Council and four members of North Dorset District Council.

Looking south from the town towards Melbury Hill, from Park Walk

Geography

The old centre of Shaftesbury is sited on a westward-pointing promontory of high ground in northeast Dorset, on the scarp edge of a range of hills that extend south and east into Cranborne Chase and neighbouring Wiltshire. The town's built-up area extends down the promontory slopes to lower ground at St James, Alcester and Enmore Green, and eastwards across the watershed towards the hill's dip slope. Shaftesbury's altitude is between about 165 metres (541 feet) at the lowest streets below the promontory, to about 235 m (771 ft) at Wincombe Business Park on the hilltop in the north, with the promontory and town centre being at about 215 m (705 ft). Below the town to the west is the Blackmore Vale, which undulates between about 60 and 110 m (200 and 360 ft). About 2 mi (3 km) west of the town and within the Blackmore Vale is the conical mound of Duncliffe Hill, visible for miles and home to Duncliffe Wood and a nature reserve. The countryside east of the town is part of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Geologically, Shaftesbury's hill mostly comprises Upper Greensand, which is overlain by Lower Chalk in the east. These date from the Cretaceous, with the greensand having been formed in the Albian and early Cenomanian, and the chalk also in the Cenomanian. The greensand is composed of three beds: the oldest and lowest is a layer of Cann Sand, which is found in the lower parts of the town, such as St James and Alcester, that are below the promontory; above this is a layer of Shaftesbury Sandstone, which generally forms the steepest slopes around the promontory, and on top of this is a layer of Boyne Hollow Chert, which is found on top of the hill and on which most of the town is built. Below the Cann Sand, on the lower slopes of the hill to the north, west and south of the town, are extensive landslip deposits.

Businesses on High Street

Economy

In 2012 there were 3,400 people employed in Shaftesbury, 65% of whom were working full-time and 35% part-time. Excluding agriculture, the most important employment sectors were public administration, education and health (31% of non-agricultural employment), production and construction (29%), and distribution, accommodation and food (26%). Significant employers include Dorset County Council, Pork Farms, Guys Marsh Prison, Royal Mail, Tesco, Port Regis School, Wessex Electricals, Stalbridge Linen Services, Blackmore Press and Dorset Chilled Foods. There are two industrial estates in the town: Longmead Industrial Estate, covering 7.7 hectares (19 acres), and Wincombe Business Park, covering 6.5 hectares (16 acres).

In 2005 there were 75 shops in the town, with a total floorspace of 7,200 square metres (78,000 sq ft). The retail catchment area for major food shopping extends about 4+1⁄2 mi (7 km) in all directions. National retail chains with a presence in the town include the Body Shop, Boots, Somerfield, Superdrug, Tesco and WHSmith.

A site has been identified for a projected parkway station on the West of England main railway line. It would be situated to the north of the town, beneath the A350 road, and a bus service would connect it with the town. Currently the nearest railway station is located in neighbouring Gillingham.

Demography

In the 2011 census Shaftesbury's civil parish had 3,493 dwellings, 3,235 households and a population of 7,314. The average age of inhabitants was 43, compared to 39.3 for England as a whole. 22.1% of inhabitants were age 65 or older, compared to 16.4% for England as a whole. 92% of Shaftesbury's residents were born in the United Kingdom, compared to 86.2% for England as a whole. Previous census figures for the total population of the civil parish are shown in the table below:

Census Population of Shaftesbury Parish 1921—2021 (except 1941)
Census 1921 1931 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021
Population *1,812 *2,819 *3,303 3,372 3,980 3,940 6,180 6,680 7,314 9,162
Asterisks (*) indicate a boundary change
Source:Dorset County Council

Culture, art and media

Shaftesbury Snowdrops

Shaftesbury Arts Centre was established in 1957 and stages a variety of exhibitions, performances, workshops and training courses. It is based in the old covered market in the town centre and is a charitable company that is run wholly by its volunteer members.

Shaftesbury has two museums: Gold Hill Museum at the top of Gold Hill, and Shaftesbury Abbey Museum in the abbey grounds. Gold Hill Museum was founded in 1946 and displays many artefacts that relate to the history of Shaftesbury and the surrounding area, including Dorset's oldest fire engine, dating from 1744. Shaftesbury Abbey Museum tells the story of the abbey and also has a herb garden and medieval orchard.

Shaftesbury Snowdrops is a Diamond Jubilee Community Legacy with the aim of creating a series of free and accessible snowdrop walks by planting snowdrops within the publicly open spaces and along the pathways throughout the town. The project was started in the winter of 2012 with the planting of 60,000 bulbs. Since 2013 there has been an annual Snowdrop Festival to encourage tourists to see the snowdrops in flower. Highlights of the festival include the Snowdrop Art Exhibition and the Snowdrop Lantern Parade. In 2014 Shaftesbury Snowdrops started a heritage collection of rare and unusual snowdrops. These are held in trust for the people of Shaftesbury and displayed in Shaftesbury Abbey during the annual Snowdrop Festival. The collection is being built through sponsorship and donations.

Gold Hill Fair usually occurs in the first weekend of July and has food stalls, arts stalls and local music that can be found in the abbey ruins.

In 2016, Shaftesbury's first open arts fringe festival was organised and has since grown to become one of the key fringe festivals in the country. The fringe is always held on the first weekend in July and attracts an eccentric mix of performers from local singers to celebrity comics heading for Edinburgh.

Steep, cobbled Gold Hill, with a buttressed wall to the right, a scheduled monument on the edge of Shaftesbury Abbey precinct

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West and ITV West Country. Television signals are received from the Mendip TV transmitter.

Shaftesbury's local radio stations are BBC Radio Solent, Vale FM, and Heart West Country. The town is home to a volunteer-run community radio station, Alfred, broadcasting local news, speech programming and music on 107.3 FM and online. It was awarded an Ofcom licence in 2020, having grown from a weekly podcast which went daily during the COVID-19 pandemic. The podcast won the gold award in the community radio awards in 2021.

Representations

Thomas Hardy used the names Shaston or Palladour to describe Shaftesbury in the fictional Wessex of his novels. In Jude the Obscure he described the loss of the town's former architectural glories, principally the abbey:

"Vague imaginings of its castle, its three mints, its magnificent apsidal abbey, the chief glory of south Wessex, its twelve churches, its shrines, chantries, hospitals, its gabled freestone mansions—all now ruthlessly swept away—throw the visitor, even against his will, into a pensive melancholy, which the stimulating atmosphere and limitless landscape around him can scarcely dispel."

In the 1970s Ridley Scott used Gold Hill, a steep cobbled street in the town, as the setting for a television advertisement for Hovis bread, in which a bread delivery boy is seen pushing his bicycle up the street before freewheeling back down. The advertisement made the street nationally famous.

Transport

Shaftesbury is served by the A30, between Salisbury and Yeovil, and the A350, which connects Poole and Chippenham. The town is 7 miles (11 km) south of the main A303 trunk road between London and South West England.

Shaftesbury has never had a direct railway connection. The challenging topography likely played a significant role in this, as constructing a railway up the steep slopes would have been difficult and costly. In 1859, the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway established a station at Semley, 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) north of Shaftesbury. This station allowed residents and visitors to access the broader railway network.

Semley station closed in the Beeching cuts of 1966. The closest railway station to Shaftesbury is now Gillingham railway station (Dorset), 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of the town, on the West of England line from London Waterloo to Exeter.

Local bus services connect the town to surrounding villages and towns.

Amenities

Shaftesbury has a non-League football club, Shaftesbury F.C., who play at Cockrams. The Shaftesbury Lido, an open air swimming pool at Barton Hill, is open during the summer months.

Shaftesbury has a community hospital, opened in 1874 and named Westminster Memorial Hospital in memory of the Marquis of Westminster, whose widow donated the site. The town has a public library operated by Dorset Council.

Notable people

Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway, died in Shaftesbury on 12 November 1035; he was buried in Winchester.

Poet William Chamberlayne lived there his whole life, from 1619 to 1689.

Philosopher Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury (1671–1713), an influential thinker on modern aesthetics.

Actor Robert Newton, best known for his portrayals of Long John Silver and Bill Sikes in the 1948 David Lean film Oliver Twist, was born there.

Actor Ernie Bourne, known for Blue Heelers, Prisoner: Cell Block H and Neighbours was born in 1926 in Shaftesbury.

Architect Richard Upjohn, noted for his Gothic Revival churches in the United States, including Trinity Church in New York, was born in Shaftesbury.

Electronic music producer Seamus Malliagh, known professionally as Iglooghost, grew up in Shaftesbury.

Electronic music producer and artist Kai Whiston grew up in Shaftesbury.

Lavinia Young (1911–1986 ), born in Bimport, was elected Mayor of Shaftesbury (1970) and was Matron of Westminster Hospital, London from 1951 to 1966.

Johnnie Walker (DJ), BBC Radio and former Radio Caroline pirate radio DJ lived in St James.

See also

References

Notes

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General references

  • Bettey, J. H. (1974). Dorset. City & County Histories. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-6371-9.
  • Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1979. Dorset. London: Faber & Faber.
  • Berry, Geoffrey (1985). AA Illustrated Guide to: Country Towns and Villages of Britain. Contributions from The Automobile Association. Drive Publications. ISBN 9780903356343.

External links

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