Thornford

{{Short description|Village in Dorset, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox UK place |static_image_name = Clock Tower and Public House, Thornford village centre - geograph.org.uk - 453021.jpg |country = England |coordinates = {{coord|50.9167|-2.5635|display=inline,title}} |official_name= Thornford |map_type = Dorset |population = 830 |population_ref = <ref name=dcc>{{cite web|url=https://www.dorsetforyou.com/344882|title=Parish Population Data|date=20 January 2015|publisher=Dorset County Council|accessdate=11 March 2015}}</ref> |unitary_england= [[Dorset (unitary authority)|Dorset]] |lieutenancy_england = [[Dorset]] |region= South West England |constituency_westminster= [[West Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)|West Dorset]] |post_town= SHERBORNE |postcode_district = DT9 |postcode_area= DT |dial_code= 01935 |os_grid_reference= ST604132 }}

'''Thornford''' is a village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in north-west [[Dorset]], [[England]], situated in the [[River Yeo (South Somerset)|Yeo valley]] {{convert|4|mi|km}} southwest of [[Sherborne]]. [[Dorset County Council]]'s 2013 mid-year estimate of the population of the parish is 830.<ref name=dcc/>

Thornford is in Thornhackett Parish, a combined parish comprising the villages of Thornford and [[Beer Hackett]]. The Parish Council comprises seven elected members from Thornford and three from Beer Hackett, all of whom serve a four-year term of office.

The village has a general store and [[post office]], a [[public house|pub]], a [[primary education|primary school]],<ref>[http://www.thornford.dorset.sch.uk/ (Thornford CEVA)]</ref> a [[Norman architecture|Norman church]],<ref>[http://www.bath.ac.uk/~lismd/dorset/churches/thornford.html (St. Mary Magdalene)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051219194357/http://www.bath.ac.uk/~lismd/dorset/churches/thornford.html |date=2005-12-19 }}</ref> a village hall, a recreation field, a [[cricket]] club and a railway station. [[Thornford railway station]] is on the [[Heart of Wessex Line]] running between [[Bristol]] and [[Weymouth, Dorset|Weymouth]]. Thornford is also served by Damory Coaches bus 74 running between [[Yeovil]] and [[Sherborne]].There are four buses each way Monday to Friday and no buses run on Saturday nor Sundays

Thornford is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] where it is called ''Torneford'' and is listed as belonging to the [[Bishop of Salisbury]].<ref name = "Domesday">''Domesday Book: A Complete Transliteration'' London: Penguin, 2003. {{ISBN|0-14-143994-7}} p.1411</ref> Archeological finds suggest [[Bronze Age]] or earlier inhabitation.<ref>Dorset County Archive</ref> A [[Roman villa]] has been excavated close to the village.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.thedorsetpage.com/locations/place/T090.htm|title = Thornford, Dorset, England|website = www.thedorsetpage.com|access-date = 2016-04-08}}</ref>

There are a number of [[Listed building|Grade II listed buildings]] in the village, the centre of which, dominated by a [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] clock tower, was designated a [[Conservation area]] in 1994. The most recent Grade II listing (in February 2008) is the [[BT Group|British Telecom]] [[Telephone booth|telephone box]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-502220-telephone-box-thornford-dorset |title=Telephone Box, Thornford |publisher=britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |accessdate=8 October 2015}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.thornford.dorset.sch.uk/ Thornford CEVA Primary School web site] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20051219194357/http://www.bath.ac.uk/~lismd/dorset/churches/thornford.html St. Mary Magdalene church]

[[Category:Villages in Dorset]]