North Dorset

This article is about the former district. For the constituency, see North Dorset (UK Parliament constituency).

North Dorset was a local government district in Dorset, England, between 1974 and 2019. Its area was largely rural, but included the towns of Blandford Forum, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Stalbridge and Sturminster Newton. Much of North Dorset was in the River Stour valley, known as the Blackmore Vale. The economy of North Dorset was largely based on dairy agriculture.

North Dorset District
Non-metropolitan district
North Dorset shown within Dorset
Coordinates: 50.86°N 2.17°E / 50.86; 2.17
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Non-metropolitan county	Dorset
Status	Abolished
Admin HQ	Blandford Forum
Incorporated	1 April 1974 to 31 March 2019
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	North Dorset District Council
• Leadership	Leader and Cabinet ( )
• MPs	Simon Hoare
Area
• Total	235.2 sq mi (609.2 km2)
Population  (mid-2018)
• Total	71,100
• Density	300/sq mi (120/km2)
• Ethnicity	98.6% White
Time zone	UTC0
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code	19UE (ONS) E07000050 (GSS)
OS grid reference	ST8806

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, from the municipal boroughs of Blandford Forum, Shaftesbury, Blandford Rural District, Shaftesbury Rural District and Sturminster Rural District. The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2019 and, together with the other four Dorset districts outside the greater Bournemouth area, incorporated into a Dorset unitary authority.^[1]

At the 2001 UK census North Dorset had a population of 61,905, a rise of 8,300 from 1991, with 25,248 households.

North Dorset is home to North Dorset Rugby Football Club.

District Council

Nordon, Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum: Council's headquarters, since demolished

Further information: North Dorset District Council elections

North Dorset District Council had its main offices at a large converted house called Nordon on Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum, which had previously been the offices of the Blandford Rural District Council, one of the council's predecessors.^[2][3] Councillors were elected every four years; the final election before abolition was held in 2015.^[4]

Settlements

Towns with a population over 2,500 are in bold.

• Anderson, Ashmore
• Belchalwell, Blandford Forum, Bourton, Bryanston, Buckhorn Weston
• Cann, Charlton Marshall, Chettle, Child Okeford, Compton Abbas
• Durweston
• East Orchard, East Stour
• Farnham, Fifehead Magdalen, Fifehead Neville, Fontmell Magna
• Gillingham, Glanvilles Wootton
• Hammoon, Hazelbury Bryan, Hilton, Hinton St Mary
• Ibberton, Iwerne Courtney, Iwerne Minster
• Kington Magna
• Langton Long Blandford, Lydlinch
• Manston, Mappowder, Margaret Marsh, Marnhull, Melbury Abbas, Milborne St Andrew, Milton Abbas, Motcombe
• Okeford Fitzpaine
• Pimperne, Pulham
• Shaftesbury, Shillingstone, Silton, Spetisbury, Stalbridge, Stoke Wake, Stourpaine, Stour Provost, Stourton Caundle, Stour Row, Sturminster Newton, Sutton Waldron
• Tarrant Crawford, Tarrant Gunville, Tarrant Hinton, Tarrant Keyneston, Tarrant Launceston, Tarrant Monkton, Tarrant Rawston, Tarrant Rushton, Todber, Turnworth
• West Orchard, West Stour, Winterborne Clenston, Winterborne Houghton, Winterborne Kingston, Winterborne Stickland, Winterborne Whitechurch, Winterborne Zelston, Woolland

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in North Dorset
• List of churches in North Dorset