IS a small market town in the subdivision of Cerne, and hundred of Cerne, Totcombe and Modbury; 120 miles S.W. by W. from London, and 7 N.N.W. from Dorchester; situated in a pleasant valley, surrounded by steep hills, and watered by the river Cerne, from which and an abbey it takes its name. The trades carried on here are brewing and malting, to some extent; and the making of parchment is another branch of some consequence. Cerne is remarkable for its abbey, founded, according to William of Malmesbury, by St. Augustine: the remains consist principally of the gatehouse, and a square embattled tower. From the town ascends an immense chalk eminence, called Trendle-hill; terminated by a mountainous prominence, and crowned by a large oblong entrenchment; on the face of this hill, may be traced a gigantic figure of a man, holding in his right hand a ponderous knotted club: the figure, which is one hundred and eighty feet high, is formed by deep trenches cut in the grassy turf, and the form is preserved by clearing out the trenches at occasional periods.
The parish church of St. Mary is a spacious structure, in the later style of English architecture, with a square tower, embattled and turretted; the benefice is a discharged vicarage, in the gift of Lord Rivers. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. The market is held on Wednesday; the fairs on Midlent Monday, April 28th and October 2nd, chiefly for cattle and pigs. The parish of Cerne Abbas contained, by the returns of 1831, 1,209 inhabitants, and by the late census (that of 1841), 1,342.
POST OFFICE, Long-street, Robert Bennett, Post Master. - Letters from all parts arrive (from DORCHESTER) every morning at half-past nine, and are despatched to that town every afternoon at half-past four.
Butler Rev. William, Frampton
Byngham Rev. Charles, Sydling
Cockeram Thos. esq. Up. Cerne house
Crane Mr. James, Long st
Dale James, esq. Glanvilles Wootton
Davis Rev. David, Back lane
Digby Sir Henry, Minterne
Dominy Mr. Chas. Abbey st
Farquharson Mr. Jas. John, Castle hill
Frampton Mr. John (attorney and coroner) Abbey street
Gillingham Mrs. Jane, East st
Goodenough Rev. Jos. Godmanstone
Groves Mrs. Ann, Long st
Hart Mr. John Fill, Abbey house
Shindan Richard Brinsley, esq. Frampton house
Smith John James, esq. Sydling house
Trowbridge Rev. James, Abbey st
Trueman Rev. James, Minterne
Venables Rev. Jas. Buckland Newton
Wiltshire Mrs. Ann, Long st
Beach William, Bridge st
Masters Sarah, Abbey st
Norman Sarah & Elizabeth, Abbey st
Thorne Eliza, Bridge st
Beer Thomas, Bridge st
Biles Joseph, Acreman st
Diment William & Francis, Long st
Dunning William, Mill lane
Gibbs James, Bridge st
Beer William, Abbey st
Gillingham William, jun. East st
Hodges George, Abbey st
Partridge James, Long st
Sherry Thomas, Bridge st
Dunning John, East st
Gundry John, Long st
Dominy George, Back lane
Dominy George, jun. East st
Stroud John, Abbey st
Biles John, Acreman st
Broadbury John, Back lane
Knell Joseph, Long st
Northover William, Bridge st
Hellyar James Thomas, Abbey st
Hodges Henry, Blackwater
Norman Henry & Edmund, Blackwater
Groves Olivia, Abbey st
Paviour Ann, Long st
Simmonds Isabella, Back lane
Vine Ruth, Back lane
BRITISH, Robert Bennett, Long st
FARMERS' and GENERAL, John Andrews Frampton, Abbey st
SUN, John Morman, Long st
WEST OF ENGLAND, John Frampton, Abbey st
YORK AND LONDON, William Beach, Bridge st
Adams Joseph, Long st
Bennett Robt. (& druggist) Long st
Biles Joseph, Acreman st
Bragg Charles, Bridge st
Derriman George, Long st
Fountain William, Long st
Gibbs James, Bridge st
Antelope, Thomas Battrick, Long st
Giant's Head, Henry Durden, Dorchester road
Nag's Head, Richard Barnwell, Abbey st
New Inn, William Roberts, Long st
Red Lion, Jasper Guy, Long st
Royal Oak, Joseph Knell, Long st
Adams Joseph, Long st
Bennett Robert, Long st
Derriman George, Long st
Johns Thomas, Long st
Bennett Martha, Long st
Clark Susannah, Market place
Groves & Teasdale (and china, &c. dealers) Long st
Dunning John, East st
Gundry John, Long st
Guy Jasper, Long st
Hellyar James Thomas, Abbey st
Hodges Henry, Blackwater
Stroud James, Long st
Dunning James, Mill lane
Stroud James, TUCKING MILLS
Barnwell Richard, Abbey st
Farr Thomas, Long st
Dunning Thomas, Long st
Edmunds Henry, Long st
Strange Robert, Long st
Davis Alfred & John, Long st
Davis Thomas, Blackwater st
Fox John, Abbey st
Banger John, Long st
Bragg James, Long st
Fountain William, Long st
Dunning William, Abbey st
Groves Levi, Abbey st
Sceard Simeon, Long st
Tucker Robert, Abbey st
Clark Robert, Long st
Johns Thomas, Long st
Bragg Thomas, beer retailer, Acreman st
Carr William, relieving officer, Long st
Curme John, lime burner, Long st
Curtis Charles, blacksmith, Long st
Farr Thomas, beer retailer, Long st
Foot Geo. livery-stable keeper, Bridge st
Groves Richard, cabinet maker, Abbey st
Hassell Richard, nurseryman, East st
Knell Joseph, cheesemonger, Acreman st
Knell Jos. jun. stone mason, Acreman st
Knight John Babstock, land surveyor, Piddle Hinton
Minitie Charles, hair dresser, Bridge st
Nobs Thos. veterinary surgeon, Long st
Norman Henry, registrar of births and deaths, Long street
Sherry Joseph, beer retailer, Acreman st
Thorne James, hatter, East st
Tizard Josiah, blacksmith, Bridge st
UNION WORKHOUSE, Sherborne road - Robert Wilson, governor; Elizabeth Wilson, matron
To BATH & BRISTOL, the John Bull (from Weymouth) every Monday, Wednesday & Friday morning at nine - and the Duke of Wellington, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at same hour; both go through Sherborne, Bruton, Frome, Bath, &c.
To WEYMOUTH, the John Bull (from Bath & Bristol) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoon at five - and the Duke of Wellington, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at same hour; both go thro' Dorchester.
To BRISTOL, George Holland, from the Red Lion, every Monday & Saturday.
To DORCHESTER, Robert Strange, from Dorchester road, every Saturday.
To WEYMOUTH, George Holland, from the Red Lion, every Friday.
To YEOVIL, James Gibbs, from Bridge street, every Friday.
Version 2.0 Copyright © 2009 by Kevin R. Smith, 24 Lime Road, Oxford OX2 9EG, UK.