Coordinates: 50°40′48″N 2°13′23″W / 50.680°N 2.223°W
| Wool | |
  Wool
Wool shown within Dorset |
|
| Population | 4,118 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Purbeck |
| Shire county | Dorset |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Wareham |
| Postcode district | BH20 |
| Dialling code | 01929 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | South Dorset |
| List of places: UK • England • Dorset | |
Wool is a village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The village has a population of 4,118 (2001), though the population has fluctuated over the past 15 years, due to the proximity of military institutions, reaching a high of 4,300 in 1992. The village lies at a historic bridging point on the River Frome, half way between Dorchester and Wareham. Woolbridge Manor House, a 14th century building, is a prominent feature just outside the village and the location of Tess' honeymoon in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Other prominent features of the village include the medieval church of Holy Rood, the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth, and the thatched cottages along Spring Street.
Nearby, to the east of the village, are the ruins of Bindon Abbey, which was demolished in the Dissolution of the Monasteries of 1539, the stone being used to build castles in Portland, Lulworth and Sandsfoot.
According to local knowledge, only one building was destroyed during the war on 3 May 1941. The building was a small bungalow by the name of "Two Birches", located on Bailey's Drove. The house was later rebuilt.
A small single lane hump backed stone bridge about 500m north from the railway station is no longer used for vehicular traffic. It has a stone halfway along it stating that those who deface or damage the bridge will be transported (sent to Australia or another penal colony) for the rest of their lives.
Local places of interest include the Bovington Tank Museum and Monkey World. It also boasts surrounding hamlets, including East Burton and Giddy Green
Wool Carnival
Wool carnival is the newly renamed annual event at the local green behind the D'Urberville Hall. It provides entertainment for the village and surrounding areas. It began in the 1950s when it was known as Wool Awake. It ceased operation for a number of years but restarted in the 21st century as Wake Up Wool. In 2007, Wake Up Wool became Wool Carnival.
External links
References
- Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1968. Dorset. London: Faber & Faber ISBN 0-571-06714-X
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