Purbeck District
Purbeck was a local government district in Dorset, England. The district was named after the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula that forms a large proportion of the district's area. However, it extended significantly further north and west than the traditional boundary of the Isle of Purbeck which is the River [Frome, Dorset|River Frome]. The district council was based in the town of Wareham, which is itself north of the Frome.
The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974, from the former municipal borough of Wareham, Swanage urban district and Wareham and Purbeck Rural District.
The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2019, together with the other four districts outside the greater Bournemouth area, to form a new Dorset unitary authority.
Its name is recorded in 948 AD as Anglo-Saxon Purbicinga, meaning "of the people of Purbic", where Purbic may be a former Celtic name, or may contain a supposed Anglo-Saxon word *pur or "male lamb".
Settlements
- Affpuddle, Arne
- Bere Regis, Bloxworth
- Chaldon Herring, Church Knowle, Coombe Keynes, Corfe Castle
- East Lulworth, East Stoke
- Harman's Cross
- Kingston, Kimmeridge
- Langton Matravers, Lytchett Matravers, Lytchett Minster
- Morden, Moreton
- Ridge
- Steeple, Stoborough, Stoborough Green, Studland, Swanage
- Turners Puddle
- Wareham, West Lulworth, Winfrith Newburgh, Wool, Worgret, Worth Matravers
- Upton Lytchett Minster and Upton
Places of interest
- Ballard Down, Blue Pool, Brownsea Island
- Chaldon Down, Chapman's Pool, Clouds Hill, Corfe Castle
- Dancing Ledge, Dunshay Manor, Durdle Door, Durlston Country Park
- Godlingstone Heath, Godlingstone Manor
- Hambury Tout
- Jurassic Coast
- Lulworth Castle, Lulworth Cove
- Kimmeridge
- Nine Barrow Down
- Old Harry Rocks
- Poole Harbour, Purbeck Heritage Coast
- Smedmore Hill, South West Coast Path, St Aldhelm's Head, Studland Bay, Swanage Railway, Swyre Head
- Tyneham
- Worbarrow Tout, Wareham Forest, Winspit, Wytch Farm