Blackmore Vale facts for kids
The Blackmore Vale is a wide, green valley in southern England. It is mostly found in north Dorset, but also stretches into south Somerset and southwest Wiltshire. This beautiful area is known for its lush farmlands and quiet villages.
Contents
Where is the Blackmore Vale?
The Blackmore Vale is part of the River Stour valley. It is also part of the Dorset AONB, which means it's a special area of natural beauty.
The valley has natural borders:
- To the south are the Dorset Downs, which are chalk hills.
- To the east are Cranborne Chase, more chalk hills.
- To the northwest, the land rises between the Stour and Yeo rivers. This area generally follows the borders of north Dorset, south Somerset, and west Dorset.
The River Stour flows into the vale near Gillingham in the north. It then leaves the vale at Blandford Forum in the southeast. Blandford Forum is a town located between the Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase.
Land and Farming
When you look at the Blackmore Vale from a high point, like the chalk hills, it seems like a big, flat, green area. However, the ground is actually made of different types of soil. There are belts of clay and limestone soils, and also some greensand near the chalk hills. These different soils create small changes in the landscape and affect how the land is used.
Most of the towns and villages are built on the drier strips of limestone. The clay areas are wetter and don't drain as well. These parts have fewer people and are mostly home to small farms scattered across the vale. Because of the clay soils, most of the farming in the Blackmore Vale is dairy farming. This means farmers raise cows mainly for their milk.
Until 1998, Sturminster Newton had the busiest weekly market in Britain for selling farm animals.
Famous Connections
The Blackmore Vale has inspired some famous writers:
- The village of Marnhull is featured in Thomas Hardy's famous book, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. In the story, Marnhull is called "Marlott."
- Thomas Hardy also lived and wrote in Sturminster Newton for a time.
- The poet William Barnes also lived in Sturminster Newton.
- Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Robert Boyle, a famous scientist, both lived in Stalbridge for part of their lives.
Towns and Villages
Here are some of the towns and villages you can find in the Blackmore Vale:
- Belchalwell
- Child Okeford
- East Stour
- Gillingham
- Hazelbury Bryan
- Henstridge
- Hinton St Mary
- Horsington
- Marnhull
- Okeford Fitzpaine
- Shillingstone
- Stalbridge
- Stour Provost
- Sturminster Newton
- Templecombe
- Todber
- West Stour
Some towns like Shaftesbury, Sherborne, and Wincanton are very close to the vale, but they are actually on its edges, not inside it.
See also
In Spanish: Blackmore Vale para niños
