Place:Watercombe, Dorset, England

Watchers
  • no watchers
Larger map
NameWatercombe
TypeExtra parochial area, Civil parish
Coordinates50.663°N 2.347°W
Located inDorset, England
See alsoWinfrith Hundred, Dorset, Englandhundred in which it was located
Dorchester Rural, Dorset, Englandrural district 1894-1974
West Dorset District, Dorset, Englanddistrict municipality covering the area 1974-2019

Watercombe (#24 on map) is a long narrow civil parish immediately to the east of the parish of Warmwell. It was an extra parochial area until 1858 when it was made into a parish. The following description from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72 is provided by the website A Vision of Britain Through Time (University of Portsmouth Department of Geography).

"WATERCOMBE, an extra-parochial tract in Weymouth [registration] district, Dorset; 5½ miles SE of Dorchester. Population: 37. Houses: 7."

GENUKI confirms that Watercombe was an extra-parochial place and suggests that church records may be found in any of the adjoining parishes of Owermoigne, Poxwell, Warmwell (#23), and Woodsford (#35). Of these, only Warmwell and Woodsford are in the same rural district and on the map on this page.

Image:Dorchester RD 1900 small.png
[edit]

Governance

Watercombe was originally a parish in the Winfrith Hundred, one of the hundreds or early subdivisions of the county of Dorset. From 1894 until 1974 it was part of the Dorchester Rural District.

In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, all urban and rural districts across England were abolished and counties were reorganized into metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts. Watercombe joined the non-metropolitan West Dorset District.

Under another set of local government reforms adopted on 1 April 2019, West Dorset District was abolished, and the county of Dorset (excluding Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole) became a single unitary authority. The area is now administered by Dorset Council.

None of the sources checked state that Watercombe was merged into another parish at any time.

[edit]

Research Tips

  • There is no article in Wikipedia.
This place has no commentary yet. It is only a stub. You can help by editing it and sharing what you know: research tips, history, relationships with other places, etc.
Retrieved from "https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Place:Watercombe%2C_Dorset%2C_England"