Maiden Newton

About

Maiden Newton is a town-sized village located on the confluence of the Rivers Frome and Hooke. It was once an old market town but, overshadowed by neighbouring Dorchester, instead developed as a light industrial village. Today, although not classically picturesque, Maiden Newton is a pleasant blend of old and new buildings surrounded by AONB land. In fact, the land surrounding Maiden Newton is so rich in biodiversity that in 1997, a new species of moth (Blairs Wainscott) was discovered on one of the nature trails.

The church of St. Mary dates back to Anglo-Saxon settlements and is one of the most interesting buildings in the village. Remarkably, this church bears the marks of two wars; first, during the Civil War Cromwell's men left bullet holes in the door, and then, hundreds of years later a German artillery aircraft left its mark when a bullet went through the window over the altar at St. Mary's. Another exciting feature of the church is the door that still hangs on what appears to be the original hinges. This door is believed to be the oldest original wooden church door in England!
Furthermore, Maiden Newton is also home to one of England's oldest fire engines, which has been restored and is in full working order.

The village has good transport links and is situated on the Heart of Wessex Line which runs regular train services to popular destinations such as Weymouth, Bristol and Bath.