{{Short description|Village and civil parish in Dorset, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox UK place | country = England | static_image_name = Godmanstone, parish church of the Holy Trinity - geograph.org.uk - 506454.jpg | static_image_caption = Parish church of the Holy Trinity, Godmanstone | coordinates = {{coord|50.7736|-2.4742|display=inline,title}} | population = 166 | population_ref = (2021 census) | map_type = Dorset | official_name = Godmanstone | unitary_england= [[Dorset (district)|Dorset]] | lieutenancy_england= [[Dorset]] | post_town = Dorchester | postcode_area = DT | postcode_district = DT2 | constituency_westminster = [[West Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)|West Dorset]] | region = South West England | os_grid_reference = SY667972 | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 12 | mapframe-wikidata = yes | mapframe-point = on }} '''Godmanstone''' (or '''Godmanston'''<ref name=Gant>{{cite book|title=Dorset Villages|author=Roland Gant|publisher=Robert Hale Ltd|year=1980|page=149|isbn=0 7091 8135 3}}</ref>) is a village and [[civil parish]] in [[Dorset]] in southern England, situated approximately {{convert|4|mi|km}} north of the county town [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]]. Its name means "Godman's Farm"<ref name=Gant/> and it is sited by the [[River Cerne]] amongst [[chalk]] hills of the [[Dorset Downs]].
==The Smiths Arms== Godmanstone used to have a [[public house|pub]] — The Smiths Arms — which claimed to be the smallest in Britain, with the interior measuring {{convert|3.6|m|ft}} by {{convert|4.6|m|ft}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/24563045.remembering-smiths-arms-godmanstone-dorset/|title=Remembering The Smiths Arms, Godmanstone|publisher=Doset Echo|date=7 September 2024}}</ref> The story attached to the claim was that the original licence was granted by [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] when he requested that the village [[blacksmith]] serve him a glass of [[Porter (beer)|porter]]. The smith refused because he had no licence, so Charles granted him one on the spot and was served his drink. The licence only applied to the smithy; adjacent living quarters, subsequently used by drinkers, were larger.<ref>{{cite book|title=Portrait of Dorset|author=Ralph Wightman|author-link=Ralph Wightman|year=1983|publisher=Robert Hale Ltd|pages=102–3|edition=4|isbn=0 7090 0844 9}}</ref> The business closed at the start of 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://camra.org.uk/pubs/smiths-arms-godmanstone-141348|title=Smiths Arms, Godmanstone|publisher=CAMRA}}</ref>
==Holy Trinity Church== The parish church is partly Norman, chiefly perpendicular, with a tower; and was recently{{when|date=March 2026}} repaired. A tune 'Godmanstone' by Cyril Vincent Taylor 1907-1991, vicar of nearby [[Cerne Abbas]] 1958-1969, was set in Hymns Ancient and Modern New Standard (#399i), part of which he edited, to the hymn 'Lord, we are blind'.
==Demographics== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+ Census population of Godmanstone parish |- ! scope=col width=18%| Census ! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Population ! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Female ! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Male ! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Households ! scope=col width=10% class="unsortable"| Source |- !scope=row| [[1921 United Kingdom census|1921]] || 111 || || || || <ref name="CensusHistory">{{Cite web|publisher=Dorset County Council|title=Past population - Parishes (A-L), 1921-2001 Census Years|url=http://www.dorsetforyou.com/345038|archive-date=6 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906154647/http://www.dorsetforyou.com/345038}}</ref> |- !scope=row| [[1931 United Kingdom census|1931]] || 95 || || || || <ref name="CensusHistory"/> |- !scope=row| [[1951 United Kingdom census|1951]] || 120 || || || || <ref name="CensusHistory"/> |- !scope=row| [[1961 United Kingdom census|1961]] || 121 || || || || <ref name="CensusHistory"/> |- !scope=row| [[1971 United Kingdom census|1971]] || 140 || || || || <ref name="CensusHistory"/> |- !scope=row| [[1981 United Kingdom census|1981]] || 120 || || || || <ref name="CensusHistory"/> |- !scope=row| [[1991 United Kingdom census|1991]] || 120 || || || || <ref name="CensusHistory"/> |- !scope=row| [[2001 United Kingdom census|2001]]{{efn|In 2001, data reported for Godmanstone was combined with data for [[Nether Cerne]] parish.|group=census}} || 171 || 85 || 86 || 67 || <ref name="Census2001">{{Cite web|at=ONSID 19UH051 (Godmanstone/Nether Cerne) in Tables KS001 (Usual resident population) and KS016 (Household spaces and accommodation type)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Key Statistics|access-date=23 June 2025|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2001_ks}}</ref> |- !scope=row| [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011]] || 156 || 82 || 74 || 63 || <ref name="Census2011">{{Cite web|at=E04003542 : Godmanstone in Table KS101EW (Usual resident population) and Table KS105EW (Household composition)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Key Statistics|access-date=23 June 2025|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2011_ks}}</ref> |- !scope=row| [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]] || 166 || 85 || 81 || 67 || <ref name="Census2021">{{Cite web|at=GSS E04003542 (Godmanstone parish) in tables PP001 (Number of Households) and PP002 (Sex)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Parish Profiles|access-date=5 August 2024|website=2021 United Kingdom census|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021_pp}}</ref> |} {{notelist|group=census}}
==Notable inhabitants== [[Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington]] (ca.1579–1652) came from Godmanstone. He was the English lord treasurer and ambassador and leader of the pro-Spanish, pro-Roman Catholic faction in the court of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]].<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Cottington, Francis Cottington, Baron | volume= 7 |last= Yorke | first= Philip Chesney |author-link= | page = 254 |short= 1}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.thedorsetpage.com/history/Flight_of_Charles/flight_of_charles.htm Flight of Prince Charles from Worcester] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034252/http://www.thedorsetpage.com/history/Flight_of_Charles/flight_of_charles.htm |date=27 September 2007 }} {{Commons category-inline|Godmanstone}}
{{West Dorset}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Villages in Dorset]]
{{Dorset-geo-stub}}