is a market town in the
East Dorset district of
Dorset in
South West England and the name of the
Church in that town. The central town has a population of 6,418 (as of
2001 ) and is situated at the
Confluence of the
River Stour and
River Allen , five
Mile s north of
Poole .
The architecture of Wimborne is regarded as one of the foremost collections of 15th, 16th and 17th century buildings in Dorset. Local planning has restricted the building of new buildings in areas such as the Corn Market and the high street, which has preserved almost all of the original buildings. The most interesting examples of English architecture include the centuries old Wimborne Minster, the Town Hall, The Priest House Museum, as well as dozens of original shops and pubs.
The minster, dedicated to
St Cuthburga , sister to
Ina , King of the West Saxons, was founded in
Saxon times, but the surviving building is predominantly
Norman in design and construction, with
Gothic components from various periods. One of its more famous architectural features include one of the sole surviving chained libraries in the world and a working astronomical clock, which rings every hour and is represented in the form of a colourful quarterjack. It is built in a combination of Dorset limestone and
New Forest stone. The most important tomb in the church is that of
John Beaufort , Duke of
Somerset , and his duchess, the maternal grandparents of King
Henry VII Of England , constructed out of
Alabaster and
Purbeck marble. It has been suggested that the semi-mythical
Pope Joan may have spent her youth at Wimborne Minster. Legend also has it that a former king from the tenth century is buried somewhere in the crypt. In 2005, the Minster celebrated its official 1300th birthday.
The model town, is one of the largest and most established model towns in England. It depicts Wimborne in the 1950's.
The award-winning Priest’s House Museum is set in a 16th century townhouse with an enchanting English walled garden, it has dozens of rooms with period furniture and historical display. It also forms part of the local tourist office and its staff all wear period costumes.
Wimborne Minster was Winner of the regional ‘In Bloom Awards’ and Silver Gilt medallist in the national competition. The town welcomes visitors each summer with a wonderful display of flowers in six large gardened areas of the town.
On weekends and national holidays, the town crier can be seen in the main square and around the Minster. The legacy and position of the town crier date back to the Civil War. The town boasts a large civil war renactment society, which performs every year.
The town boasts a well established, large and long standing market. The market is held on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was previously located in the Town Centre but moved out several years to a site on the edge of town to accommodate its size.
Every summer in June the town holds the
Wimborne Folk Festival which involves lots of
Morris Dancing and drinking in the pubs. The regional festival is attended by over 15,000 people across its weekend with parts of the town being closed to traffic. It is one of the largest events of its kind in England.
Wimborne has one of the largest collections of pubs to resident ratio in
Dorset . Many of which have existed for many centuries. Some of the older buildings date back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
- The Coach and Horses
- The Cricketers Arms
- The Rising Sun
- The Bell
- The Albion
- The Kings Head
- The Odfellows Arms
- The White Hart
- The Pudding and Pye
- The Green Man
- The Crown and Anchor
- The Olive Branch
- TJs
And a bit further out many more too numerous to mention here.
The Town has three primary schools and two middle schools.
Wimborne and the area of
Merley , are served by schools in the local region, such as
Corfe Hills School and
Queen Elizabeth's School .
Queen Elizabeth School , a specialist Sports College, has very close links with the Minster and was founded by
Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1497. After her death the school became Wimborne Grammar School. Although the Grammar School buildings still remain they have now been converted to flats. The school was established on it's current site in 1972 after the merging of Wimborne Grammar School and the County Modern School.
Perhaps the most famous of educational institutions in Wimborne include the private and renowned
Canford School on the edge of Wimborne, Merley and Canford.
The historically important aerospace company
Cobham Plc has headquarters in Wimborne and employs a large proportion of its residents. Tourism is also an important industry.
