Colehill

The name Colehill originated in 1431 as Colhulle, becoming Colhill in 1518 and Collehill in 1547,{{Cite web |title=Colehill :: Survey of English Place-Names |url=https://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/Dorset/Colehill/532852f9b47fc4099d002b09-Colehill |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=epns.nottingham.ac.uk}} later getting the simplified spelling of Colehill, but the origins of Colehill as a settlement predate this by a long way.

Six round barrows, which can still be seen, show that people lived here as early as 2000 BC. The River Stour would have been navigable; there is evidence that in about 500 BC, peoples from Continental Europe were populating the South West, bringing the culture of the early Iron Age. Fortifications at Hengistbury Head and more forts inland were established then.

Part of the tracks survive, running parallel to the river from the coastal fort through modern locations such as Parley and Stapehill to Badbury Rings. It is thought that the line of Middlehill Road derives from one of these very early tracks.

Later in Roman times Wimborne developed as an important trading centre on the River Stour, and as a junction for further tracks from Poole to Badbury Rings and on to Salisbury. Another track radiating eastward possibly set the line for what was to become in modern times the A31 road. Bridges replaced the fords (Canford) in about 100 AD.

There then followed the Saxon invasion and the formation of the Kingdom of Wessex. Agriculture became established and with it clearance of some small plots on the sunny heathland slopes around Colehill. Over the centuries farms grew until, with the impetus of inclosure acts{{which|date=January 2025}} (1750 to 1860), they were consolidated into the estates that we know of today – Kingston Lacy, Hanham and Uddens estates.

There are a few houses in Colehill dating from the 1860s, but the settlement was small until rapid expansion took place in the 20th century. The population rose from 1,786 in 1951 to 5,370 in 1971. Several large estates of modern family homes were built and there is quite a lot of infill building.

A parish plan for Colehill was published in 2008. Many of the planned actions have been implemented, including a community library. The East Dorset District Council Core Strategy, approved in 2013, placed over half of the district's new neighbourhood development in Colehill; it comprises 630 homes along the Cranborne Road and 350 south of the Leigh Road A31.

There are two first schools in Colehill, Colehill First School and Hayeswood First School,[http://www1.dorsetforyou.com/Learning/SIS.nsf/ByCategory?OpenForm&Count=1000&cat=Pyramids&id=Wimborne Dorset for You - Wimborne Schools] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201551/http://www1.dorsetforyou.com/Learning/SIS.nsf/ByCategory?OpenForm&Count=1000&cat=Pyramids&id=Wimborne |date=27 September 2007 }} and a middle school, St Michael's.

There is a Roman Catholic primary school, St Catherine's RC Primary School & Kindergarten. There is a special education foundation school, Beaucroft Foundation School.[https://www.beaucroft.dorset.sch.uk/ Beaucroft's website] There is also a private school, Dumpton School.[https://www.dumpton.com Dumpton's website]

At the lower level of local government, Colehill is a civil parish with a parish council, which has three electoral wards (Colehill East, Colehill Hayes & Colehill West).

At the upper level of local government, Colehill is in the Dorset unitary district. For elections to Dorset Council it is part of the Colehill & Wimborne Minster East electoral ward).

Colehill became part of the Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency at the 2010 general election.

Historically, Colehill was part of Wimborne & Cranborne Rural District from 1894 to 1974,{{cite web |title=Colehill CP through time {{!}} Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10451656 |website=www.visionofbritain.org.uk}} and then Dorset East district from 1974 until Dorset became a unitary district in 2019.

• Tim Berners Lee{{Cite web |date=2014-03-13 |title=Former Dorset inventor of world wide web calls for digital "bill of rights" to protect internet users |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11073873.former-dorset-inventor-of-world-wide-web-calls-for-digital-bill-of-rights-to-protect-internet-users/ |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=en}}- World Wide Web creator
• Micheal Medwin- Actor
• Roger Johnson- Footballer
• Al Stewart- Musician

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.colehill.gov.uk/ Colehill Parish Council Website]

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Category:Villages in Dorset