Description
Sherborne, a town, a parish, and a division in Dorsetshire. The town stands on a hill-slope, with a station on the L. &S.W.R., 118 miles from London, and 5 1/2 E of Yeovil. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office. Acreage of parish, 6497; population, 5690. There is an urban district council consisting of twelve members, also a rural district council for the outlying parts. Sherborne was known to the Saxons as Sciraburn, acquired an abbey or minster before 700, was the seat of a bishopric from 705 till 1075, when the see was removed to Old Sarum. There was a Saxon cathedral, one small fragment of which was built into the W wall of the abbey. It suffered devastation by Sweyn the Dane in 1003, was given by William the Conqueror to Osmund de Sels, afterwards Bishop of Sarum, who built a castle at it, passed to successively the Crown, the Montacutes, the Duke of Somerset, Sir Walter Raleigh, Prince Henry, and the Digbys, sent members to parliament in the time of Edward III., became an important seat of trade before the time of Henry VIII., was described by Leland as in his time " the most frequented town in the county," sustained a siege of sixteen days by Fairfax in 1645, resulting in capture and in the demolition of its castle, and gave lodging for a night to the Prince of Orange on his way to London in 1688. It numbers among its natives Bishop Winniffe, who died in 1584; the engineer Engelbert, who died in 1634; and the theologian Dr Towers, who died in 1799. The town comprises several good streets regularly aligned, the principal one winding in a picturesque-manner. There is a market-place with an ancient conduit. The town has a head post office, two banks, three chief inns, a splendid church, a grammar school endowed with about £1200 a year, which ranks among the greatest public schools, three other endowed schools, an ancient endowed almshouse hospital, a handsome hospital called Yeatman's, erected in 1865, a workhouse, and some general charities. Ruins of the castle still exist to the E on an eminence near the town. A mansion called Sherborne Castle stands near the ruins, consists of a centre and two projecting wings, presents a quaint and antique appearance, and is the seat of the Digby family. The park is very extensive, beautifully wooded, and well stocked with deer. It contains a lake 2 miles long, which is always open to the public for skating when frozen over. The church is that of the ancient abbey. It became the parish church after the dissolution of the monasteries. It was originally a building of Norman architecture, but was converted to its present mainly Perpendicular character by Abbots Ramsam and Bradford. Much Norman work still remains, notably the piers of the tower and the SW porch. The roof is one of the most beautiful specimens of fan vaulting extant. It underwent complete restoration partly in 1849-50, partly in 1856-58, when the tower was restored; received further improvement in 1886, presents an appearance similar to that of several cathedrals, is cruciform with a tower 100 feet high, and measures 200 feet from E to W, and 100 along the transepts. In 1884 a magnificent monument was erected to the memory of George Digby Wingfield Digby, of Sherborne Castle, in the form of an Eleanor Cross, which is placed in the abbey yard on the site of the old town-hall, and stands on octagonal steps. The monument is of Ham Hill and Ketton stone, with bronze figures, and a medallion portrait in bronze of Mr Digby. Some remains of a Benedictine abbey, constituted out of the original monastery in 1139, are on the N side of the churchyard, and consist chiefly of the refectory, crypt, and other buildings used for the grammar school. The latter, as an institution, dates from 1550, as an edifice is a quadrangular structure, and has been restored and enlarged. The ancient hospital was refounded by Henry VI. for 16 men and 8 women, and is a venerable structure. There are Congregational, Baptist, and Wesleyan chapels. Markets are held on Thursdays and Saturdays, but are practically nil. Fairs are held on or near St Swithin's Day and the Monday after 10 Oct., and there are silk-throwing mills employing about 250 persons. The town comprises part of Sherborne parish and all Castleton parish. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Salisbury; gross value, £350 with residence.
Villages, Hamlets, &c.
Overcoombe, a tithing in Sherborne parish, Dorsetshire, near Sherborne.
