Manston, Dorset

Hammoon is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset, sited on a river terrace of alluvial silt by the River Stour, about two miles (three kilometres) east of the small town of Sturminster Newton. Its name is derived from the Old English ham, meaning dwelling, and the surname of the Norman lord of the manor ('de Moion' or 'Mohun'). In 2001 the parish had 19 households and a population of 49. In 2013 the estimated population of the parish was 40.

West Orchard is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England. It is situated in the Blackmore Vale in the North Dorset administrative district, approximately halfway between the towns of Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. It is separated from the adjacent settlement of East Orchard by a stream. In 2013 the civil parish had an estimated population of 50. For local government purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of East Orchard and Margaret Marsh, to form a Group Parish Council.St Luke's Church was rebuilt in 1876–77 to the designs of Thomas Henry Wyatt, but the chancel is 15th-century.

St Luke's Church is a Church of England church in West Orchard, Dorset, England. Most of the church dates to a rebuild of 1876–77 to the designs of Thomas Henry Wyatt, but the chancel is 15th-century. The church is a Grade II listed building.

Fiddleford Manor (also known as Fiddleford Mill) is a medieval manor house located near Sturminster Newton, Dorset. It is thought to have been originally built around 1370 for William Latimer, the sheriff of Somerset and Dorset, after the manor passed to him in 1355. The house is now owned by English Heritage and open for the public to visit throughout the year; however, there is an adjoining building to the north that continues to serve as a private residence and is not open to the public.The present day site—set in a T-shape—comprises a two-storey solar and half of the hall to the east of that, both with open timber roofs; the foundations of the west range and an extension of the hall are now visible only as earthworks. The house is unusual among its class of building in retaining many of its original features; this despite having undergone many alterations during its 600-year history. It has been described as having "perhaps the most spectacular manor house interior in Dorset." In the sixteenth century the solar wing was extended to the north and the hall remodeled by architect Thomas White and his wife Anne; the house remained in the White family until at least the time of Charles I. After the Restoration, it was bought by Sir Thomas Freke and retained by his descendants, the Pitt-Rivers family; they reduced the length of the hall by 2 metres (6.6 ft), it having previously extended almost to the River Stour, and added a new fireplace and ceiling. By 1956, however, the 18th-century building had been demolished and the original, 14th-century part was derelict; by 1962, only the northern wing remained habitable, and the original section passed into state ownership. The house underwent restoration during the 1970s by the Department for the Environment—now the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Girdlers Coppice is a nature reserve of the Dorset Wildlife Trust, near Sturminster Newton, in Dorset, England. It is an ancient woodland, adjacent to the larger Piddles Wood to the south (across the A357) and bordered by the River Stour to the north. It is included with Piddles Wood as an area designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Access is across fields from the car park for Fiddleford Manor.

Margaret Marsh is a hamlet and civil parish in north Dorset, England. It is situated in the Blackmore Vale, halfway between the towns of Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. It is sited on Kimmeridge Clay close to a small tributary stream of the River Stour. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 60. In 2013 the estimated population of the parish was 40. The parish church has a 15th-century tower and 13th-century font, but the rest of the building was rebuilt in 1873. For local government purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of East Orchard and West Orchard, to form a Group Parish Council.

Fiddleford is a hamlet in the county of Dorset in southern England. Fiddleford is situated between Sturminster Newton and Okeford Fitzpaine in the North Dorset administrative district. It was founded by an English nobleman named Fitela (Fitela's Ford), and the aforementioned ford is over the River Stour. The origin of the place-name is from Old English Fitela and ford meaning (homestead or farm) of a man called Fitela; the place-name appears as Fitelford in 1244.Fiddleford has approximately 25 houses, a manor house by the river (Fiddleford Manor), a public house (the Fiddleford Inn), and a large mushroom farm. Southwest of Fiddleford is Piddles Wood. Every second month residents of Fiddleford produce the 'Fiddleford Flyer', a local magazine.

East Orchard is a small village and parish in the county of Dorset in southern England. It lies in the Blackmore Vale within the North Dorset administrative district. It is situated roughly midway between the hilltop town of Shaftesbury and the riverside town of Sturminster Newton. It is separated from the neighbouring village of West Orchard by a small stream. In 2013 the estimated population of the civil parish was 100. For local government purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of West Orchard and Margaret Marsh, to form a Group Parish Council.The Orchard ("Horcerd") listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, is more likely to refer to "Orchard" near Church Knowle on Purbeck, rather than East and West Orchard.

St Thomas's Church is a Grade II listed building in East Orchard, Dorset. The church dates from 1859. The Diocese of Salisbury discontinued services in 2018, and in 2023 planning permission as granted to turn the church into a residential property.

Rixon is a village near Sturminster Newton in Dorset, England. The village's transport links are currently provided by Damory Coaches, services 369 between Blandford Forum and Yeovil, and 309 between Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury.

Piddles Wood is a small area of woodland south of the River Stour, Dorset, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The site was notified as an SSSI in 1985. The nearest settlement is the town of Sturminster Newton. The local planning authority is North Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council, but part of the site is managed by the Dorset Naturalists' Trust.Piddles Wood was first documented in the 13th century as Puttekwurth and Putteleswurthe. A "wurth" is an enclosure, and "Pyttel" was an Old English surname, so the name could mean "Pyttel's enclosure". However, another etymology is possible as "puttoc" is an Old English word for a kite, with "pyttel" or "piddle" also being used. It is also known as "Hanging Ground".The area of the site is 62.2 hectares (154 acres). Woodlands in North Dorset are scarce, and Piddles Wood is one of only a handful of such sites. Due to the heavy neutral and lighter acid soil types—caused by the underlying Kimmeridge Clay and Plateau Gravels—the site has a varying woodland flora, containing broadleaved, mixed and yew lowland. However, it is dominated by oak and coppiced hazel—for which reason the site was listed as an SSSI—and its flora and fauna is typical of oak woodland in Dorset. Piddles Wood has an abundance of ground flora, including woodruff (Galium odoratum), sanicle (Sanicula europaea), early purple orchid (Orchis mascula), wood spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides) and orpine (Sedum telephium). The site is also very rich for insect fauna, and among the butterflies found on the site are the white admiral (Limenitis camilla), wood white (Leptidea sinapis) and silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia); it was previously home to the pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), although this is now believed to be extinct in Dorset. Adjacent to the edge of the site is an extensive poultry farm, containing approximately 100,000 birds.

Sturminster Newton United Football Club is a football club based in Sturminster Newton, Dorset, England, currently playing in the Dorset Premier League. The club is affiliated to the Dorset County Football Association and is a FA Charter Standard Community Club. Currently have 9 youth teams ranging from under 8s to under 16s,playing in the Dorset mini soccer league and Dorset youth league.