Stourton Caundle

St Peter's, Stourton Caundle
© Kim Parker/Dorset OPC 2014

Stourton Caundle is a village and parish in the Blackmore Vale of North Dorset, about 5 miles East of Sherborne. 'Caundle' may originally have been a Celtic name for the chain of hills in the vicinity, which look from Dorset toward Somerset, but its exact meaning remains obscure. The first name of the village post-Norman conquest was 'Candel Malherbie' – 'malherbe' being the French word for 'weed'. It became known as 'Candel Haddon' after the Haddon family bought land here in 1202 and founded the manor. They fortified the manor like a castle. One of the more famous visitors was the legendary Dick Whittington, a Lord Mayor of London and the real-life inspiration for a famous English rags-to-riches folk tale. He married Alice, the daughter of the lord of the manor of Candel Haddon, Sir Ivo Fitzwaryn, by whose Will the castle's chapel was founded in the 1440s. All that remains of the castle today is that chapel (now used as a farm building) and two fish-ponds.

The name of the village and the parish changed when the Stourton family became lords of the manor in 1461, and remained as Stourton Caundle even after the manor was sold in 1727 to the Hoares, a wealthy banking family. One name that did change during the lordship of the Hoare family was that of the local pub. Early on in the Napoleonic Wars, the country was in a state of anxiety due to an expected invasion by Bonaparte himself. A table was set up outside Stourton Caundle's inn to process the enlistment of the young men of the area, and the name 'The Trooper' stuck. The Trooper Inn is still in business today, but the Hoares are long gone, the manor having been broken up and sold off in the early 20th century.

The Church of St. Peter's sits on a mound opposite a tithe barn. Parts of the church are ancient, including the Chancel and Nave, which date from the 13th century, the embattled Tower from the 14th century and the Porch and South Chapel from the late 14th or early 15th century. In the early 18th century an elegant new font was installed and a gallery was built. The font is still in use, but the gallery was taken down in the late 19th century. In 1902 the church underwent a tasteful renovation and the clock, originally built in 1721 by John Biddlecombe, the village blacksmith, was restored in 1977 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The parish has since become part of the Spire Hill Benefice (in 2007), which also includes the parishes of Stalbridge, Purse Caundle and Stock Gaylard with Kings Stag.

The village may no longer boast a Post-Office or General Store, or the wide range of tradesmen - bakers, dairymen, blacksmiths, carpenters, boot-makers, cordwainers, plasterers, basket makers and so on – that lived here in its heyday in the nineteenth century, but new technology is once again making village life convenient and attractive. After a decline set in from the mid-20th century onwards, Stourton Caundle is once again thriving and today there exists a vibrant local community participating in a wide spectrum of social and leisure activities.

Stourton Caundle Church
© Kim Parker/Dorset OPC 2014

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Stourton Caundle Church Tower
© Kim Parker/Dorset OPC 2014

Stourton Caundle Church Font
© Kim Parker/Dorset OPC 2014

Stourton Caundle Congregation Chapel
© Kim Parker/Dorset OPC 2014