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Hooke, Dorset

Coordinates: 50°47′56″N 2°39′37″W / 50.7988°N 2.6604°W / 50.7988; -2.6604
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Hooke
Hooke Court
Hooke is located in Dorset
Hooke
Hooke
Location within Dorset
Population157 [1]
OS grid referenceST537001
Unitary authority
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBeaminster
Postcode districtDT8
Dialling code01308
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Dorset
50°47′56″N 2°39′37″W / 50.7988°N 2.6604°W / 50.7988; -2.6604

Hooke is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England, situated about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the town of Bridport. It is sited in the valley of the short River Hooke, a tributary of the River Frome, amongst the chalk hills of the Dorset Downs. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 157.[1]

The name comes from the Old English Hoc meaning the hook or angle and refering to the land in a river bend. The spelling has changed over the years, the Doomsday Book recorded it as Lahoc and later varients include Hok (1229), La Hoke (1244) and Houc (1268).[2]

Rampisham Down, the hill immediately northeast of the village, is the site of a transmitter station operated by VT Communications, broadcasting long-range radio signals for clients including BBC World Service. The outskirts of the village are home to Hooke Court and its surrounding parklands. Originally built in 1407 by Humphrey Stafford, the Court was extended in 1609 by the Marquis of Winchester.[3]

To the southwest of the village are Warren Hill and the woods of Hooke Park on its western flanks.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Area: Hooke (Parish), Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  2. ^ Mills, A.D. (1986). Dorset Place-Names their Origins and Meanings. Wimborne Dorset: Roy Gasson Assosiates. p. 89.
  3. ^ West Dorset, Holiday and Tourist Guide. West Dorset District Council. c. 1983. p. 10.
  4. ^ Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 series
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