Woodlands, Dorset
Woodlands is a village and civil parish in the East Dorset district of Dorset, South-West England. It is five miles (8 km) north of Wimborne Minster. Horton Road is the main road going through the parish. Woodlands has a long history and is known for multiple reasons. It is home to the Church of the Ascension which is a Grade II listed building. In 2001, the village had a population of 544 but in 2011 the population had fallen to 522. The village. Demography. The population grew from 346 in 1811 to 476 in 1851 and then  declined to 384 in 1911 but grew from a low point of 323 in 1951 to reach 544 in the 2001 census. In 2011, the village had a population of 522, 272 males and 250 females; the majority (504) are white British and Christianity (334) is the main religion. Economy. Of the 286 people who are economically active, 280 are currently in employment, the majority (67) are either managers, directors or senior officials. The main industry that the residents of Woodlands work in is the Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motor Cycles (44). Manufacturing (37) and  construction (35) also make up a large sector of employment in Woodlands. In 1831 the majority of the population (67) were employed as agricultural labourers, in 1881 that increased to 70. Housing. There are currently 201 households in Woodlands which has increased from 95 in 1901. The average house price in Woodlands is £447,735 which is comparatively more expensive than in neighbouring Verwood (£332,770) and Three Legged Cross (£352,353) but is cheaper than nearby Holt (£699,607). The majority of households (90) are married couple households with no dependent children. Recreation. Remedy Oak golf club is located  in the heart of Woodlands that helps to increase the popularity of the area. The parish church. Woodlands is home to the Anglican Church of the Ascension, a Grade II listed building. The church is in the Diocese of Salisbury. The church was dedicated in 1892 and was given to the village by Harriet, the Countess of Shaftesbury, in memory of her husband Anthony who was the 8th Earl of Shaftesbury. The church was designed by prolific church architect George Frederick Bodley who designed cathedrals in Tasmania and Washington. The exterior of the church is a plain brick structure but  the inside is prominent. There are three central columns arcading down the middle of the nave. On entering the church there is a large 12th-century circular stone font from Knowlton church (two miles west) which, according to tradition, was used for baptisms by Saint Aldhelm. History. Woodlands parish was established when the hamlets of Baggeridge, Woodlands and Knowlton (the earliest settlement) were detached from Horton in the 19th century. Woodlands village was then first recorded in 1244. Woodlands was part of the Shaftesbury estate until after the Second World war. The parish is home to the hamlet of Knowlton  with its prehistoric henges known as Knowlton Circles. In 1870-72 John Marius Wilson's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales" said that in Woodlands: "The Duke of Monmouth, after the battle of Sedgemoor, was taken here in a ditch." The village is mentioned in 'Owen's book of fairs' in 1788 as having a yearly fair selling horses, cheese and toys on the 5th of July. (https://archive.org/stream/owensnewbookfai00owengoog#page/n39/mode/2up)