# Powerstock > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Powerstock > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Powerstock.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerstock > Source revision: 1324348554 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Village and civil parish in Dorset, England Human settlement in England Powerstock Powerstock Powerstock Location within Dorset Population 290 [1] OS grid reference SY517962 Unitary authority Dorset Ceremonial county Dorset Region South West Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town Bridport Postcode district DT6 Dialling code 01308 Police Dorset Fire Dorset and Wiltshire Ambulance South Western UK Parliament West Dorset Website Village photos List of places UK England Dorset 50°45′49″N 2°41′11″W / 50.7635°N 2.6865°W / 50.7635; -2.6865 **Powerstock** is a village and [civil parish](/source/Civil_parishes_in_England) in south west [Dorset](/source/Dorset), [England](/source/England), situated in a steep valley on the edge of the [Dorset Downs](/source/Dorset_Downs), 5 miles (8 km) north-east of the [market town](/source/Market_town) of [Bridport](/source/Bridport). The civil parish includes the village of [West Milton](/source/West_Milton%2C_Dorset) to the west and the summit and northern slopes of [Eggardon Hill](/source/Eggardon_Hill) to the south-east. Powerstock village contains many cottages and two inns: *The Three Horseshoes* near the [church](/source/Church_(building)) and *The Marquis of Lorne Inn* on the other side of the valley in a small [hamlet](/source/Hamlet_(place)) called Nettlecombe. The small Mangerton River runs through the valley. In 2013 the parish had an estimated population of 290.[1] In the [2011 census](/source/United_Kingdom_Census_2011) figures have been published for Powerstock parish combined with the small parish of North Poorton to the north; the population in this area was 358.[2] Powerstock was rated as among the "20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland" by [Condé Nast Traveler](/source/Cond%C3%A9_Nast_Traveler) in 2020.[3] ## History The origins of the name Powerstock have not been fully determined; the second part derives from the [Old English](/source/Old_English) *stoc*, meaning an outlying farmstead, but the first part—similar to the nearby settlement of Poorton—is unresolved.[4] In the [Domesday Book](/source/Domesday_Book) of 1086 it was recorded as *Povrestoch*.[4] Powerstock Castle is a medieval [motte and bailey](/source/Motte_and_bailey) castle. St Mary's Parish Church dates from the 12th century and is a Grade I listed building.[5] According to one source, the name was 'Poorstock' until the [Bridport Railway](/source/Bridport_Railway) was built through the village in 1857, when the change to Powerstock was made to avoid connotations of 'poor (rolling) stock'.[6] However another source states the name existed in its current form as early as 1787.[7] [Powerstock railway station](/source/Powerstock_railway_station) (and the entire Bridport branch line) closed on 5 May 1975. ## Landscape **Poorstock Forest** was one of the 80 [royal forests](/source/Royal_forest) created by the [Normans](/source/Normans) in the 11th, 12th and early 13th centuries, in part to support [medieval hunting](/source/Medieval_hunting). The term *forest* originally referred to land where [hunting](/source/Hunting) and forestry rights were reserved for a [monarch](/source/Monarch) or the [aristocracy](/source/Aristocracy). The nearby [Eggardon Hill](/source/Eggardon_Hill) (height 827 feet (252 m)) lies about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-east of the village. On the summit is a 14-hectare [Iron Age](/source/Iron_Age) hill-fort, from which can be viewed a wide panorama of the Dorset countryside. Just over a mile to the east of the village lies the [nature reserve](/source/Nature_reserve) of Powerstock [Common](/source/Common_land). Another prominent hill is [Drackenorth](/source/Drackenorth), some 1.9 miles (3 km) north-northeast, which lies on the [Jubilee Trail](/source/Jubilee_Trail). A cricket match at The Weir Cricket Ground, Nettlecombe There is also a cricket pitch located at The Weir playing field in Nettlecombe. This has traditionally been used by Powerstock and Hooke Cricket Club. It has also been used to host Powerstock's Village Fete. ## In popular culture Powerstock was used as the filming location for a [BBC](/source/BBC) production of [Agatha Christie](/source/Agatha_Christie)'s *[A Murder is Announced](/source/A_Murder_is_Announced)* and the 2010 [Springwatch](/source/Springwatch) series. Panorama of Powerstock, December 2010 ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dcc_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dcc_1-1) ["Parish Population Data"](https://www.dorsetforyou.com/344882). Dorset County Council. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Area: Powerstock (Parish), Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics"](http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127681&c=Powerstock&d=16&e=62&g=6418484&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1394831171649&enc=1). *Neighbourhood Statistics*. [Office for National Statistics](/source/Office_for_National_Statistics). Retrieved 14 March 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["THE 20 MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES IN THE UK AND IRELAND, 20 October 2020"](https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/beautiful-villages-uk). Retrieved 14 March 2021. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Mills_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Mills_4-1) David Mills, ed. (2011). [*A Dictionary of British Place-Names*](https://books.google.com/books?id=tXucAQAAQBAJ&q=powerstock+dictionary+place+names&pg=PA375). Oxford University Press. p. 375. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780199609086](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780199609086). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Powerstock Pages 181-186 An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 1, West"](https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol1/pp181-186). *British History Online*. HMSO 1952. Retrieved 11 June 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Diana P Read *Powerstock Station All Change*. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9527522-0-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9527522-0-4) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Matt Wilkinson (January 2014). ["The Dorset drive: The valleys of the West and the scenic coast road"](https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2014/01/the-dorset-drive-the-valleys-of-the-west-and-the-scenic-coast-road/). Dorset Life Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2014. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Powerstock](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Powerstock). v t e Ceremonial county of Dorset Unitary authorities Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (areas and suburbs) Dorset Major settlements (cities in italics) Beaminster Blandford Forum Bournemouth Bridport Broadstone Chickerell Christchurch Corfe Mullen Dorchester Ferndown Gillingham Highcliffe Lyme Regis Merley Poole Shaftesbury Sherborne Stalbridge Sturminster Newton Swanage Upton Verwood Wareham Weymouth Wimborne Minster See also: List of civil parishes in Dorset Rivers Allen Asker Avon Axe Bourne Bride Brit Cerne Char Corfe Crane Frome Hooke Moors Piddle Simene Stour Sydling Water Tarrant Wey Topics Flag Settlements Beaches Churches County Council Economy Population of major settlements Geology Geography SSSIs Healthcare History (English Civil War) Schools Tourism Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Museums People Transport Grade I listed buildings Grade II listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Scheduled monuments South West Coast Path Portal:Dorset --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Powerstock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerstock) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerstock?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.