The Parish of Horton with Woodlands

	Horton with Woodlands
Photographs of St Wolfrida above and Horton Church of Ascension to the right are courtesy of Peter Walker		A village 6 Miles N.E. of Wimborne 5M W of Cranborne 2M E of Moore Crichel. In the Hundred of Badbury division of Shaston E. Union of Wimborne and Cranborne. Horton is joined with the hamlet of Woodlands for Ecclesiastical purposes only. Recorded in 1033 as Hortun from an Anglo Saxon Chronicle Hortune [DB}1086 Horton 1212 {Muddy Farm} OE horu+tun}. A monastery here was of the Benedictine Order, founded 961. The Priory was a cell to Sherborne Abbey, Wolfryth the Abbess was a Saxon related to Alfred's Royal Line. There are recorded two mills for flour and grain in 6 acres of meadow with the River Stour flowing at the edge of the village.
The Filiol family here in 12th c held the Manor. In 1548 it was sold to the Uvedale family who were Sheriffs of Dorset 15th -17th c. The church of St Wolfrida contained part of the Priory wall inside the church situated near the chancel. It had a tower with 5 Bells. Memorials to the Filiol families were near the altar. It was rebuilt in 1720 after the tower fell down and was ruinous. It is of Early Georgian with a spire and some stained glass windows, situated close to the Manor. A Free School was founded here. The Rectory in 1291 was part of the Priory. The vicarage is a discharged one in the Deanery of Pimperne. In 1861 the population was 431 with 2,740 acres. Woodlands hamlet is close by, it had no Church but a building was licensed as a Chapel. Hastings and Napier Families were here. It has a tower built on a hill here by H Sturt esq.		Here after the battle of Sedgmoor the Duke of Monmouth is said to be found near a ditch hiding under a cloak, in 1685. He was the son of Charles 11. Commemorated as Monmouth's Ash from an Ash tree growing here.
The Online Parish Clerk (OPC) for Horton with Woodlands is Anne Preston You may contact her by e-mail if you have further queries Please note that Anne is temporarily unable to deal with any enquiries Please put 'OPC Horton' and the surname in the subject line
Census		1841 Census in two parts:- Horton & Horton Heath, Woodlands 1851 Horton & Woodlands 1861 Census 1871 to follow 1881 Census 1891 Census.
Parish Registers		Registers begin 1563 BTs 1731-1895 Baptisms 1741-1788 & 1798-1831 on line Marriages 1739-1812 on line Burials 1739-1799 on ine
Dorset Poll 1807		This is available by contacting me by e-mail
Rectors from 1304		This is available by contacting me by e-mail
Militia Lists 1757-1799		This is available by contacting me by e-mail
Maps		The 1891 ordinance survey maps of the parish can be seen at the old-maps site, just enter 'Horton' under place search.
		For modern location maps visit:- www.multimap.com To see a 1920s map of the area click on the thumbnail on the left [91Kb]