Cattistock

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:For Template:Infobox UK place

Cattistock is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, sited in the upper reaches of the Frome Valley, Template:Convert northwest of the county town Dorchester. The Dorset poet William Barnes called it "elbow-streeted Cattstock",<ref name=Gant>Template:Cite book</ref> a comment on the less-than-linear village street. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 509.<ref name=ONS/>

Parish church

A church was built here in the 12th century by the monks of Milton Abbey, though this structure has not survived.<ref name=Trust>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The current church, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul,<ref name=Trust/> was rebuilt in the 19th century by architects Sir George Gilbert Scott and his son George Gilbert Scott Junior. The Perpendicular-styled tower was the work of the latter, and has led to the church being dubbed the 'Cathedral of the Frome Valley'; he was also responsible for the porch, north aisle and vestry.<ref>Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the South. London: Collins; p. 172</ref> A carillon of 35 bells was installed in the new tower a few years after its construction. This was the first carillon to be introduced to England and attracted hundreds of visitors to the valley, though the bells were destroyed by a fire in the tower on 15 September 1940.<ref name=Gant/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The fire also destroyed the very large clock, which previously almost spanned the width of the tower.<ref name=Gant/> In 1972 the Pevsner guide to Dorset architecture said that "for the mid- to late-nineteenth century, this is the masterpiece amongst Dorset churches".<ref name=Gant/> The church is a Grade I Listed Building.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Chantmarle

File:Chantmarle Manor (5) - geograph.org.uk - 992561.jpg

Chantmarle

Nearly Template:Convert north of the village is Chantmarle, a house dating from the 15th century, with additions in the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It received its name – which means "song of the blackbird" in Norman French – from the Chauntmerles family, who lived on the site in the early 13th century.<ref name=Price>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1910 Inigo Thomas designed new end wings and a terraced garden with ponds.<ref name=Gant/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the late 20th century Chantmarle was used as a centre for police training.<ref name=Gant/> It then became a Christian retreat and wedding reception venue, but is now once more a private home.<ref name=Price/>

Cattistock Hunt

The Cattistock Hunt is a foxhound pack established by a parson at Cattistock Lodge in the mid 18th century. It was given the name 'The True Blue'.<ref name=Gant/>

The Hunt has been affiliated with all UK naval vessels named Template:HMS, including the latest to bear the name, Template:HMS.

The village also has a close relationship with those named ships too and has hosted the ships' crews on many occasions.

An ensign and emblem shield of HMS Cattistock – a blue cornflower, the symbol of the Hunt's colours and a wildflower local to the area – is displayed in the village church.