Toller Down

Toller Whelme is a small hamlet in Dorset, England, situated in the civil parish of Corscombe approximately 2.3 miles (3.7 km) east of Beaminster, 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Bridport and 13 miles (21 km) north-west of Dorchester. There are seven homes in the hamlet: West Farm, Norcombe Hayes, Manor House, 1 & 2 West Farm Cottages, East Farm and Lake Farm. Toller Whelme takes its name from the River Toller (the former name of the present River Hooke), at the source of which it stands: the second element Whelme means river source or spring in Anglo-Saxon. It has occasionally in the past also been known as Pinny's Toller or Penny Toller, from the name of the landowning Pinney family formerly established here at the manor house. The Manor House was once the principal residence of a single estate farmstead which has been subsequently divided into separate properties and holdings. The Manor was once a grange farm of Forde Abbey near Chard. Older buildings in the hamlet include the Manor House, a nearby converted barn and two nearby adjoining cottages (1 & 2 West Farm Cottages). The perimeter wall exterior of the Manor House exhibits 'sockets' that in the past held the roof joists of a series of small lean-to style cottages that no longer exist. In the hamlet there is also a farm, with a relatively new farmhouse that replaced the old dairy. A lake was created in front of the farmhouse in the 1970s to provide water for the farm cattle during drought conditions. A little further down the valley is Michael's Peace, a nature reserve managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. The reserve was created by Beaminster GP and environmental activist Dr Mike Hudson. Toller Whelme is a modern ecclesiastical parish, formed in 1871 from the ancient parish of Corscombe; the Anglican church of St John was built the previous year. The church belongs to the Manor and has an unusual set of steel bells.

Corscombe is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset, in the Dorset Council administrative area. The parish includes the small settlements of Benville and Toller Whelme to the south and in the 2011 census had a population of 445.Corscombe village is sited "into hollows and along sunken lanes" on the northern scarp slope of the Dorset Downs, approximately 8 miles (13 km) south-south-west from the town of Yeovil in Somerset. Evidence of early human occupation within the parish includes lynchets and, south of the village, three standing stones.On the higher ground in the village stands the 15th-century parish church of St. Mary, which was restored in 1875–7. In 1905 Sir Frederick Treves described the church as a "handsome building" with an "exceedingly fine" situation. Nearby Corscombe Court dates from the 13th century and is partially surrounded by a moat. It has a 15th-century tithe barn which was once used by the monks of Sherborne Abbey.About 2 kilometres to the south of Corscombe village, across the A356, is Toller Down, one of the highest hills in Dorset, with good views of the surrounding countryside. The musician Polly Jean Harvey is a former resident.

Weston Hill is a hill, 250 metres (820 ft) high, on the A 356, 1 kilometre west of Corscombe in the county of Dorset in southern England. It is located within the Dorset Downs. It is named after the hamlet of Weston to the northeast. The summit is marked by a trig point just north of the A 356, and there is a transmission mast about 100 metres to the northwest. To the east the terrain drops steeply towards Corscombe. To the southwest it descends gently to Beaminster Down before dropping sharply at Mintern's Hill towards Beaminster.

Hooke Court is a 17th-century manor house in the parish of Hooke in Dorset, England. It is a Grade II* listed building built around the time of the English Civil War. Standing in about 6 hectares (14 acres) of mature park and woodland, Hooke Court is on the outskirts of Hooke, a village in rural Dorset. It lies at the foot of Warren Hill. In the Civil War it was damaged by fire by Roundheads but repaired in 1647 by the Duke of Bolton. There had previously been medieval buildings on the site. Hooke Court was previously a boarding school for boys with educational, emotional or behavioural problems, from 1946 to 1992. Saint Francis School for Boys was run and managed by Society of Saint Francis. Hooke Court is today used as a residential study centre. In 2007 it was featured on the television series Time Team which attempted to discover the nature of the medieval buildings.

At 244 metres, Beaminster Down is one of the highest hills in West Dorset, England.

Hooke Park is a 142 hectare woodland in Dorset, South West England located near the town of Beaminster and within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site is designated as ancient woodland and historically comprised a deer hunting estate. An educational campus is located at Hooke Park that was developed by the Parnham Trust following its purchase of the site in 1983. Led by furniture designer John Makepeace a School of Woodland Industries was established that aimed to "research, demonstrate and teach the better use of forest produce". The campus buildings demonstrate experimental timber construction techniques and include works by the late 2015 Pritzker Prize laureate Frei Otto, Edward Cullinan and ABK Architects. In 2002 ownership of Hooke Park was transferred to the Architectural Association School of Architecture who use the site for visiting and residential courses, including programmes in which students design and construct new campus buildings. The Hooke Park woodland is renowned locally for its spring bluebells and is accessible through public rights-of-way. The estate's forestry is managed with the aim of researching new architectural applications for home-grown timbers.

Warren Hill is a prominent elevation, 215 metres (705 ft) high, 1 kilometre southwest of the hamlet of Hooke, in the county of Dorset in southern England. Its prominence of 51 metres (167 ft) means it is listed as one of the Tumps. It is located within the Dorset Downs. The summit is open, as is the hill's eastern flank, but much of the western side of the hill is covered by the woods of Hooke Park. Hooke Court lies just to the northeast. The Jubilee Trail passes Warren Hill just to the south and the Wessex Ridgeway just to the north.

Mapperton is a hamlet and civil parish in Dorset, England, 3 miles (4.8 km) south-east of Beaminster. Dorset County Council estimated that the population of the parish was 60 in 2013.

Hooke is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England, situated about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the town of Bridport. It is sited in the valley of the short River Hooke, a tributary of the River Frome, amongst the chalk hills of the Dorset Downs. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 157.Rampisham Down, the hill immediately northeast of the village, is the site of a transmitter station operated by VT Communications, broadcasting long-range radio signals for clients including BBC World Service. The outskirts of the village are home to Hooke Court and its surrounding parklands. Originally built in 1407 by Humphrey Stafford, the Court was extended in 1609 by the Marquis of Winchester.To the southwest of the village are Warren Hill and the woods of Hooke Park on its western flanks.

All Saints' Church is a private church, formerly belonging to the Church of England, in Mapperton, Dorset, England. The church is believed to have 12th century origins, with later additions and rebuilds. It became part of the estate of Mapperton House in 1977 and is a Grade I listed building.

West Chelborough is a village and civil parish 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Dorchester, in the Dorset district, in the county of Dorset, England. In 2001, the parish had a population of 42. The parish touches Corscombe and East Chelborough.

Rampisham Down is a chalk hill in the Dorset Downs, eight miles north west of Dorchester in west Dorset, England. The highest part of the hill is 221 metres (720 feet). To the north east of the hill is the Frome valley and the village of Rampisham, to the south west is the Hooke valley and the village of Hooke. The A356 road between Dorchester and Crewkerne cuts across the down.