Why You Should Visit Maiden Newton
Maiden Newton is a village in West Dorset that is located on the River Frome where it meets the Hooke River, a few miles north of Dorchester; and has the distinction of being immortalized by Thomas Hardy in his novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" with the fictitious name Chalk-Newton.
Being a native of the area, Hardy was well aware of the neighbouring villages, thereby dubbing Maiden Newton with the appellation Chalk-Newton, to reflect the minerals of the area that wash into the River Frome. The River Frome also lends its name to Frome Vauchurch that has little more than a hundred residents and joins the larger Maiden Newton that has perhaps one thousand residents, to form a single community, making the village a quiet and pleasant place to explore Hardy's Wessex, as well as to be able to enjoy the area which is rich in flora and fauna as it is part of the Maiden Newton Conservation Area. At the village railway station, there is also an old defunct branch line that is now part of a nature walk that is also within a Site of Nature Conservation Interest as well as being located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The village itself has some interesting points of interest, including the Church of St. Mary in Maiden Newton, with the smaller St. Francis in the adjoining Frome Vauchurch; as both churches date back to Anglo-Saxon settlements. There is also evidence of an earlier Roman settlement, where a tessellated pavement has been unearthed; and evidence of an Iron Age settlement near the Hogg Cliff Hill to the east. Also, an old mill on the River Frome is mentioned in the Doomesday Book. However, one of the most interesting of all the ancient remains is the door that still hangs on what appears to be the original hinges in the Church of St. Mary. Maiden Newton, being the center of the settlement has the larger of the two churches, and the smaller St. Francis church appears to have been a "chapel at ease". The ancient door in St. Mary, made in 1450, is believed to be the oldest original wooden church door in England. Remarkably this ancient door 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. Although St. Mary's architectural origins have more to see, both of the ancient churches in this community are well worth the visit for their antiquity and their Norman workmanship.
Furthermore, in addition to being the home of the oldest (ancient) door; of having the distinction of being the model for Thomas Hardy's Chalk-Newton, and being home to the trail where the Blairs Wainscot moth was discovered in 1997; Maiden Newton is also home to one of England's oldest fire engines, which has been restored and is in full working order.
Where is Maiden Newton?Maiden Newton is located in Dorset, England.
