Yetminster
Encyclopedia
Yetminster is a village in the English
county of Dorset
. It lies within the West Dorset
administrative district of the county, about five miles south-west of the town of Sherborne
. It is sited on the River Wriggle, a tributary of the River Yeo
, and is built almost entirely of honey-coloured limestone, which gives the village an appearance reminiscent of Cotswold
villages. Many of the houses date back to the 17th century. Writing in 1905 Sir Frederick Treves described the village as "probably the most consistent old-world village or townlet in the county". The village has a population
of 1,095 .
Yetminster Fair has a claim to be one of the oldest street fairs in Dorset
, having been started in the 13th century under a charter granted to the Bishop of Salisbury
for a fair 'to be held in his manor of Yetminster'. There was a gap after the 1947 fair until it was re-started in 1975, and now it is firmly established on the second Saturday in July - often culminating in a performance by The Yetties
, a folk group who originate from the village. The fair is not only one of the oldest but one of the biggest fairs in the Wessex
area.
Yetminster was the birthplace of Benjamin Jesty
(c.1736-1816), a farmer who lived in the village for much of his life, who is notable for his early experiment in inducing immunity against smallpox
using deliberate inoculation with the less virulent cowpox
. Unlike Edward Jenner
, a medical doctor who is given broad credit for developing the smallpox vaccine in 1796, Jesty did not publicise his findings, even though they were made some twenty years earlier in 1774. Only two people pre-dated Jesty's work. There is a blue plaque
commemorating Jesty's pioneering work at Upbury Farm, near to the church.
Yetminster does not lie on a main road and experiences mostly local traffic. It has its own railway station
(on the Heart of Wessex Line
), which is sited close to the village centre. St Andrews Church has a 300 year old faceless clock which chimes the national anthem every three hours. As well as the expected local store, post office and pub, Yetminster still possesses a variety of village amenities and services, including a GP surgery and health centre, and a sports club with playing grounds and tennis court.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. It lies within the West Dorset
West Dorset
West Dorset is a local government district and parliamentary constituency in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Dorchester. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester and Lyme Regis, along with...
administrative district of the county, about five miles south-west of the town of Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
. It is sited on the River Wriggle, a tributary of the River Yeo
River Yeo (South Somerset)
The River Yeo, also known as the River Ivel or River Gascoigne, is a tributary of the River Parrett in north Dorset and south Somerset, England....
, and is built almost entirely of honey-coloured limestone, which gives the village an appearance reminiscent of Cotswold
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
villages. Many of the houses date back to the 17th century. Writing in 1905 Sir Frederick Treves described the village as "probably the most consistent old-world village or townlet in the county". The village has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 1,095 .
Yetminster Fair has a claim to be one of the oldest street fairs in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, having been started in the 13th century under a charter granted to the Bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
for a fair 'to be held in his manor of Yetminster'. There was a gap after the 1947 fair until it was re-started in 1975, and now it is firmly established on the second Saturday in July - often culminating in a performance by The Yetties
The Yetties
The Yetties are an English folk music group and take their name from the Dorset village of Yetminster which was their childhood home. In 2007 The Yetties celebrated 40 years as a professional folk band....
, a folk group who originate from the village. The fair is not only one of the oldest but one of the biggest fairs in the Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
area.
Yetminster was the birthplace of Benjamin Jesty
Benjamin Jesty
Benjamin Jesty was a farmer at Yetminster in Dorset, England, notable for his early experiment in inducing immunity against smallpox using cowpox....
(c.1736-1816), a farmer who lived in the village for much of his life, who is notable for his early experiment in inducing immunity against smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
using deliberate inoculation with the less virulent cowpox
Cowpox
Cowpox is a skin disease caused by a virus known as the Cowpox virus. The pox is related to the vaccinia virus and got its name from the distribution of the disease when dairymaids touched the udders of infected cows. The ailment manifests itself in the form of red blisters and is transmitted by...
. Unlike Edward Jenner
Edward Jenner
Edward Anthony Jenner was an English scientist who studied his natural surroundings in Berkeley, Gloucestershire...
, a medical doctor who is given broad credit for developing the smallpox vaccine in 1796, Jesty did not publicise his findings, even though they were made some twenty years earlier in 1774. Only two people pre-dated Jesty's work. There is a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
commemorating Jesty's pioneering work at Upbury Farm, near to the church.
Yetminster does not lie on a main road and experiences mostly local traffic. It has its own railway station
Yetminster railway station
Yetminster railway station serves the village of Yetminster in Dorset, England. The station is on the Heart of Wessex Line north of Weymouth.Yetminster railway station is managed by First Great Western...
(on the Heart of Wessex Line
Heart of Wessex Line
The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury to Weymouth...
), which is sited close to the village centre. St Andrews Church has a 300 year old faceless clock which chimes the national anthem every three hours. As well as the expected local store, post office and pub, Yetminster still possesses a variety of village amenities and services, including a GP surgery and health centre, and a sports club with playing grounds and tennis court.