Place Information
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Blandford Forum is a small historic market town on the River Stour in the North Dorset district of Dorset, England noted for its Georgian architecture. The town had a population of 8,745 at the 2001 Census. Blandford is the seat of North Dorset's district council, although it is situated in the far south-east of the district. Nearby are the small village of Blandford St Mary and Blandford Camp military base. A Georgian Fayre is held in the first week of May each year in the town centre and attracts thousands of visitors. The Fayre combines Georgian celebrations with cultural presentations, stalls, and a fun fair on the grassy meadows along the banks of the Stour. The nearby village of Tarrant Hinton 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. An unpleasant local resident is the 'The Blandford Fly', a biting insect which has caused several fatalities. In recent years the weed beds in the river have been sprayed to stop it breeding. History
Blandford has been a fording point since Anglo-Saxon times, when it was recorded as Blaen-y-ford and as Blaneford in the Domesday Book, meaning ford of the river of blay or gudgeon. By the 13th century it had become an important market town, with a livestock market serving the nearby Blackmore Vale with its many dairy farms. The Latin word Forum, meaning market, was recorded in 1540. It was an important break on the journey between the port of Weymouth and the capital London. There is still a bi-weekly market held in the town. In 1731 much of the town was destroyed in a fire. John and William Bastard rebuilt the town over the following 30 years and the town centre is an excellent example of Georgian architecture from the 1730s to 1760s. From 1860 the town was an important stop on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, which ran from Bath to Bournemouth until the line closed in 1966. Research Tips
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