Askerswell
{{Short description|Village and civil parish in Dorset, England}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|static_image_name = Looking down at Askerswell from the A35 - geograph.org.uk - 470662.jpg
|static_image_caption = Askerswell village from the south
|coordinates = {{coord|50.7327|-2.6687|display=inline,title}}
|label_position = top
|map_type = Dorset
|official_name = Askerswell
|civil_parish = Askerswell
|population = 154
|area_total_sq_mi=2.7
|population_ref ={{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11120170&c=Askerswell&d=16&e=62&g=6418479&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1371015461395&enc=1|title=Area: Askerswell (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=12 June 2013|archive-date=2 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602200853/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11120170&c=Askerswell&d=16&e=62&g=6418479&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1371015461395&enc=1|url-status=dead}}
| unitary_england= Dorset
| lieutenancy_england= Dorset
|region = South West England
|constituency_westminster = West Dorset
|post_town = DORCHESTER
|postcode_district = DT2
|postcode_area = DT
|dial_code = 01308
|website = http://www.askerswell.co.uk/
|os_grid_reference = SY529927
|london_distance = {{convert|140|mi|km|0}}
}}
File:Church of St Michael - Askerswell - geograph.org.uk - 415876.jpg
Askerswell ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|s|k|ər|z|w|əl}}) is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is sited on the small River Asker. It lies {{convert|11|mi|km}} west of the county town Dorchester. The parish has an area of {{convert|1724|acre|sqmi ha|sigfig=3}}{{cite web |url=http://www.opcdorset.org/AskerwellFiles/Askerwell.htm |title=Askerswell |publisher=Dorset OPC Project |access-date=3 April 2015}} and in the northeast includes the western slopes of Eggardon Hill, including part of the Iron Age hill fort close to its summit.{{cite book|title=West Dorset|publisher=West Dorset District Council|page=2|year=1982}}Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Pathfinder Series, Sheet SY 49/59 Bridport, 1977 In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 154.
Toponymy
The name Askerswell is derived from Osgar's Well or its Viking equivalent Asger's Well, though local tradition is that Askers' Well is Dorset dialect for newts' well and refers to the name of the stream flowing through the village ("Askers" or the River Asker).{{cite web |url=http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2007/12/askerswell-village/ |title=Askerswell village |first1=Clive |last1=Hannay |first2=Rodney |last2=Legg |publisher=Dorset Life magazine |date=December 2007 |access-date=3 April 2015}}
History
In 1086 in the Domesday Book Askerswell was recorded as Oscherwille;{{cite web |url=http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/dorset1.html |title=Dorset A-G |publisher=domesdaybook.co.uk |work=The Domesday Book Online |access-date=17 February 2015}} it had 30 households, was in Eggardon Hundred and the lord and tenant-in-chief was Tavistock Abbey.{{cite web |url=http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SY5292/askerswell/ |title=Place: Askerswell |work=Open Domesday |publisher=domesdaymap.co.uk |access-date=17 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218021540/http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SY5292/askerswell/ |archive-date=18 February 2015 |url-status=dead }}
Askerswell parish church has an early 15th-century west tower, but the rest of the building was rebuilt by Talbot Bury in 1858.{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol1/pp12-15 |title='Askerswell', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 1, West (London, 1952), pp. 12–15 |publisher=University of London |work=British History Online |access-date=2 April 2015}}
There are twenty structures in the parish that are listed by English Heritage for their historic or architectural interest. There are no structures listed as Grade I (the highest rating), but the parish church and South Eggardon Farmhouse are Grade II*.{{cite web |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/dorset/askerswell |title=Listed Buildings in Askerswell, Dorset, England |publisher=britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |access-date=3 April 2015}}
Governance
At the lower tier of local government, Askerswell is a civil parish. It does not have a parish council; instead it has a parish meeting.{{cite web |url=https://www.dorsetforyou.com/askerswell-pm |title=Askersewll Parish Meeting |publisher=Dorset County Council |work=dorsetforyou.com |date=8 December 2014 |access-date=4 April 2015}}
At the upper tier, Askerwell is in the Dorset unitary authority. For elections to Dorset Council, Askerswell is in the Eggardon electoral ward. Historically, Askerswell was in Eggerton Hundred, Bridport Rural District from 1894 to 1974, and West Dorset district from 1974 to 2019.
In the United Kingdom national parliament Askerswell is in the West Dorset parliamentary constituency.
Geography
Askerswell civil parish extends from the A35 trunk road on Askerswell Down in the south to the Iron Age hillfort on Eggardon Hill in the northeast and Knowle Hill in the northwest. Its altitude is between about {{convert|50|m|ft}} where the River Asker leaves the parish in the west up to about {{convert|250|m|ft}} on Eggardon Hill. The surrounding parishes are Loders to the west, Shipton Gorge to the southwest, Chilcombe to the south, Litton Cheney to the southeast and east, West Compton to the northeast and Powerstock to the north.Ordnance Survey (1977), 1:25,000 Pathfinder Series, Sheet SY 49/59 (Bridport) All of Askerswell parish is within the Dorset National Landscape area.{{cite web |url=http://explorer.geowessex.com/?layers=4805&basemap=27&x=376944.16&y=99635.35&epsg=27700&zoom=10 |title=Dorset Explorer |publisher=Natural England |access-date=4 April 2015 |archive-date=6 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006075621/http://explorer.geowessex.com/?layers=4805&basemap=27&x=376944.16&y=99635.35&epsg=27700&zoom=10 |url-status=dead }}
File:Eggardon hill from south east 19Mar2006.jpg
The local travel links are located {{convert|5|mi|km}} from the village to Maiden Newton railway station and {{convert|33|mi|km}} to Exeter International Airport. The main road running through the village is Hembury Road.
Demography
In the 2011 census Askerswell civil parish had 86 dwellings,{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11120170&c=Askerswell&d=16&e=62&g=6418479&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1424210444932&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2481 |title=Area: Askerswell (Parish). Dwellings, Household Spaces and Accommodation Type, 2011 (KS401EW) |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=17 February 2015 |archive-date=18 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218012154/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11120170&c=Askerswell&d=16&e=62&g=6418479&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1424210444932&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2481 |url-status=dead }} 71 households and a population of 154. The average age of residents was 51.7, compared to 39.3 for England as a whole. 27.9% of residents were age 65 or over, compared to 16.4% for England as a whole.{{cite web |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11120170&c=Askerswell&d=16&e=62&g=6418479&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1428113083637&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2474 |title=Area: Askerswell (Parish). Age Structure, 2011 (KS102EW) |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=4 April 2015 |archive-date=8 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408132643/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11120170&c=Askerswell&d=16&e=62&g=6418479&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1428113083637&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2474 |url-status=dead }}
Amenities
Askerswell village has a village hall, located by the road to Spyway.{{cite web |url=http://www.dorsethalls.net/content/askerswell-village-hall |title=Askerswell Village Hall |publisher=Dorset Village Halls Association |work=Dorset Halls Network |date=2 February 2010 |access-date=4 April 2015}} There is also a village pub, first licensed in 1845 - The Spyway Inn.{{cite web |url=https://thespywayinn.com |access-date=8 August 2018}}
References
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