Marnhull

Marnhull is a village in the county of Dorset in southern England. It lies in the Blackmore Vale in the North Dorset administrative district of the county, 3 mi north of the small town of Sturminster Newton. The resort towns of Bournemouth and Weymouth lie about 30 mi to the south. Marnhull is sited on a low ridge of Corallian limestone above the valley of the River Stour, which forms the northern and western boundaries of the parish. In the 2001 Census the village had 960 dwellings and a population of 1,951, of whom 42.3% were retired.

Saxon charters show that Marnhull existed as a village in the 10th century, although the village's site has seen human occupation as early as the Iron Age, and a Roman settlement was established at Ashley Wood in the east of the parish.

Today Marnhull consists of several conjoined hamlets, connected by a network of minor roads. The village presents a mix of architectural styles, with post-war developments existing alongside properties dating back to Tudor times and earlier. It has three churches (Anglican, Roman Catholic and Methodist), two primary schools, two public houses, a GP surgery, a village hall and a recreation ground, as well as various small shops and services. The parish church of St Gregory has a 15th-century tower which "is a landmark and the finest in the Vale."

Filmography
The television adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles was filmed in the village. Marlott was Hardy's name for Marnhull and The Pure Drop Inn was his name for The Crown Inn.

Notable residents

 * Catherine Parr the last of Henry VIII's wives was given the original manor of Nash Court in 1544. From her it passed to Edward VI and then to Elizabeth I after which it passed through the families of several noblemen and eminent civilians.
 * Giles Hussey was born here and lived at Nash House before studying art in Italy.
 * Sir Peter Harding, GCB, (born 2 December 1933) is a retired Royal Air Force Chief of the Air Staff, and Chief of Defence Staff.