ancient ruins
Maiden Castle
One of the largest Iron Age hillforts in Europe, its multiple ramparts enclosing an area the size of 50 football pitches.
5 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Charminster
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Charminster
Charminster works well as a base: 15 minutes from Puddletown, 17km from Durdle Door.
Charminster is in England, United Kingdom, with about 1,400 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Puddletown, about 7 km away.
Charminster is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, situated on the River Cerne and A352 road 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the county town Dorchester. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 2,940 and also contains the hamlet of Charlton Down.
The village name derives from the River Cerne and theRead more
small 'minster' church of St Mary, resulting in "Cerneminster" (recorded in 1223), which eventually evolved into Charminster. The village, which includes Wolfeton House, was the place of origin of Richard Norman and family, one of the Planters of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America, who arrived there in ca. 1626. Scientist Margaret Bastock died in the village in 1982, aged 62.
Charminster was in the Charminster and Cerne Valley electoral ward, which stretches from the northern outskirts of Dorchester through Cerne Abbas to Minterne Magna. The total population of this ward at the 2011 census was 4,768.
After 2019 structural changes to local government in England, Charminster is part of the Charminster St Mary's ward for elections to Dorset Council.
Where to Stay in Charminster
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Charminster?
Within an hour or so of Charminster: Maiden Castle (5 km), Cerne Abbas Giant (9 km), Chesil Beach (15 km), Durdle Door (17 km).
Are there any good drives near Charminster?
The nearest famous roads are Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135) and Military Road, Isle of Wight.
Where is Charminster?
Charminster is in England, United Kingdom, about 7 km from Puddletown.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,366
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 50.7333, -2.4500
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Charminster
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Cerne Abbas Giant
A 55 m chalk hill figure of a club-wielding naked man above a Dorset village, now dated to the late Saxon period.
9 km · about 15 min drive
beach
Chesil Beach
An 18-mile shingle barrier beach enclosing the Fleet lagoon, its pebbles graded by size along its entire length.
15 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Durdle Door
Iconic natural limestone arch jutting into the sea on Dorset's Jurassic Coast, one of the most photographed landmarks in Britain.
17 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove
A natural limestone arch and a near-perfect circular cove on the Jurassic Coast, linked by a clifftop path.
17 km · about 20 min drive
beach
Man O’War Bay
A sheltered crescent of shingle immediately east of Durdle Door, enclosed by an offshore reef of eroded rock.
18 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Lulworth Cove
Almost perfectly circular cove formed by the sea eroding through Portland limestone, creating one of the world's finest examples of coastal geology.
19 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Stair Hole
A small collapsing cove beside Lulworth, showing the tightly folded Lulworth Crumple in its cliff face.
19 km · about 20 min drive
Driving roads near Charminster
- 24 kmPortland BillThe southern tip of the Isle of Portland, marked by a red-and-white lighthouse above a fierce tidal race.
- 28 kmGolden CapThe highest point on England's south coast at 191 m, its sandstone summit glowing gold above Charmouth and Lyme Bay.
- 36 kmBallard DownThe chalk ridge above Swanage running out to Old Harry Rocks, with views over Poole Harbour and Studland Bay.
- 59 kmRhinefield Ornamental DriveA New Forest road lined with giant redwoods and Douglas firs planted in 1859, running between Brockenhurst and the A35.
- 65 kmCheddar Gorge ViewpointEngland's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
- 65 kmCheddar Gorge Road (B3135)The B3135 threads the floor of England's largest gorge beneath 137m limestone cliffs, tight and dramatic but often busy with visitors and goats.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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