{{Short description|Village and civil parish in Dorset, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox UK place | official_name = Chetnole | country = England | region = South West England | static_image_name = St Peter's Church, Chetnole - geograph.org.uk - 234705.jpg | static_image_caption = Parish church of St Peter | population = 330 | population_ref = <ref name=dcc>{{cite web|url=https://www.dorsetforyou.com/344882|title=Parish Population Data|date=20 January 2015|access-date=28 February 2015|publisher=Dorset County Council}}</ref> | os_grid_reference = ST602080 | coordinates = {{coord|50.8701|-2.5669|display=inline,title}} | post_town = Sherborne | postcode_area = DT | postcode_district = DT9 | dial_code = | constituency_westminster = [[West Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)|West Dorset]] |unitary_england= [[Dorset (unitary authority)|Dorset]] |lieutenancy_england= [[Dorset]] }}
'''Chetnole''' is a village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[English county|county]] of [[Dorset]] in southern [[England]]. It lies approximately {{convert|6|mi|km}} south-southwest of [[Sherborne]] and {{convert|5.5|mi|km}} southeast of [[Yeovil]] in [[Somerset]]. It is sited on [[Oxford clay]]<ref>Wightman, R., ''Portrait of Dorset'', Hale, 1983, p17</ref> by the small Wriggle River at the western end of the [[Blackmore Vale]]. There are around 128 houses in the village. It has a [[Chetnole railway station|railway station]] on the [[Heart of Wessex Line]] that is served by [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] services. [[Dorset County Council]] estimate that in 2013 the population of the parish was 330.<ref name=dcc/> In the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] the population of Chetnole parish combined with the small parish of Stockwood to the west was 344.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11121878&c=Chetnole&d=16&e=62&g=6418591&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1390346986453&enc=1|publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]]|access-date=21 January 2014|title=Area: Chetnole (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>
Chetnole was not recorded in the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L3dWJnqv5lEC&dq=chetnole+domesday&pg=PA118 |title=The Domesday Gazetteer |first1=H. C. |last1=Darby |first2=G. R. |last2=Versey |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=118 |year=2008 |orig-year=1975 |isbn=978-0-521-20666-2}}</ref>
== History == The name "Chetnole" is thought to mean ‘Ceatta’s hillock or hilltop’ from an Old English proper name and 'cnoll'. Chetnole is not mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 and there is no convincing evidence of a settlement at that time. The [[St Peter's Church, Chetnole|Parish Church of St Peter]] is made up of several different buildings from different time periods: the 13th Century barrel-vaulted nave, the 15th Century tower, the 17th Century porch and the 19th Century chancel. The country house, Nappers, was used as a [[military hospital]] during the [[World War I|First World War]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/13604|title=History of Chetnole in West Dorset {{!}} Map and description|website=www.visionofbritain.org.uk|access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref>
Chetnole is situated on the small River Wriggle which flows north from [[Hilfield]] to the [[River Yeo (South Somerset)|River Yeo]] near [[Bradford Abbas]]. There was a school in Chetnole, at the end of School Lane, from 1851 until 1938.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F206583|title=The Discovery Service|last=Archives|first=The National|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref>
== Governance == Chetnole is included in an [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|electoral ward]] with Yetminster and other surrounding areas. The ward is one of 32 that comprise the [[West Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)|West Dorset parliamentary constituency]].
== Geography == Chetnole is located approximately 6 miles southwest of [[Sherborne]], 5.5 miles southeast of [[Yeovil]], 2 miles south of [[Yetminster]], and 2 miles north of [[Evershot]].
== Amenities == Chetnole is located near the Roman road to [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]], and is served by the 212 bus service between Dorchester and Yeovil. (Withdrawn) There is the award-winning, four-star rated Chetnole Inn. The nearest GP surgery is [[Yetminster]] with the nearest hospitals being the Sherborne Yeatman Hospital or the Yeovil District Hospital.
== Chetnole Railway Station == [[Chetnole railway station]] is a small rural station serving the village. It was originally opened as a timber structure on 11 September 1933, although this was replaced by the current concrete one in the 1960s.
[[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] operate services between [[Gloucester railway station|Gloucester]] and [[Weymouth railway station|Weymouth]] via [[Bristol Temple Meads railway station|Bristol Temple Meads]] and [[Westbury railway station|Westbury]]. [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]] runs an additional service running once on a Saturday between Weymouth and [[Yeovil Junction railway station|Yeovil Junction]].
In 2015/2016, the annual rail passenger usage was 1,946.
==John Hewlett== [[John Hewlett]] was born in Chetnole in 1762.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline|Chetnole}}
{{Dorset}}
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[[Category:Villages in Dorset]]