Winterborne Houghton
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox UK place
Winterborne Houghton is a village and civil parish in north Dorset, England. It is situated in a winterbourne valley on the Dorset Downs, Template:Convert southwest of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 census the parish had 82 households and a population of 183.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2001 the population was 195.<ref name="census2001">Template:Cite web</ref>
The name derives from the River Winterborne, which has its source here.<ref name="walks">Template:Cite web</ref> The river only flows overground during the winter, hence the name. To the east is Winterborne Stickland and the river flows on to this village, eventually joining the River Stour. To the southwest is Milton Abbas.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref>
Residents of Winterborne Houghton used to be known as "Houghton Owls", in reference to the story of a villager who, when calling for help having got lost in the woods, mistook the calls of owls for answering human voices. In his book Dorset Villages Roland Gant posits the theory that Thomas Hardy used this tale as inspiration for the scene where Joseph Poorgrass gets lost in Yalbury Wood in Far from the Madding Crowd.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Church
The Church of St Andrew, grade II listed since 1955,<ref name=BLB/> was designed by Thomas Henry Wyatt and built during 1861–62.<ref name="pevsner">Template:Cite book</ref> It is in the Perpendicular style and faced with flint with a tiled roof. It has a simple plan with nave, chancel, north aisle and south porch. The tower is on the west end and is built in two stages with a battlemented parapet. Internally, the nave has a hammer beam roof and the chancel a wagon roof. The fifteenth century font has a carved octagonal bowl on an octagonal stem, and the other fittings are nineteenth century.<ref name=BLB>Template:Cite web</ref>
Higher Houghton
Higher Houghton is a hamlet located at the top of Winterborne Houghton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is a horse stable in Higher Houghton which is only used for special events (this was open to the public until 2020). Fields that are adjacent to said stables are occasionally used for 'cross country' horse races.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed
Houghton Down
Houghton Down is a series of fields located towards the west of Winterborne Houghton. It is accessible from the Bridleway (nicknamed 'The Grovers Track') leading to Milton Abbas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Amenities
There used to be a post office in the village with a shop but this closed in the 1990s.Template:Citation needed
There is a fish farm in the village called 'Houghton Springs Fish Farm',<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which provides fish to many restaurants and companies around the UK.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
To the east of the village there is a small pond, Millennium Pond, which was completed in 2000 in time for the new millennium hence why it is called the 'millennium' pond. In 2004, the pond won an award for 'the best millennium project'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Towards the north of the village there is an orchard named the 'Jubilee Orchard' which was placed on the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>