Blandford Throwback Facts VII

In 1777, a horse drawn coach from Exeter was robbed by a highwayman just a few miles short of Blandford.

In 1778, smugglers firing their pistols attacked the house of the Supervisor of Excise in Blandford and took away 16 cwts of tea and nine casks of liquor.

In 1779, the Greyhound Inn advertised that it had a ‘very good billiard table.’

In 1780, a young boy chimney sweep was burnt to death when cleaning the chimney in a Blandford inn.

In a battle royal between poachers and gamekeepers, Pimperne born poacher trumpet-sergeant Blandford had a hand cut off by a gamekeeper’s cutlass.

Nine hundred & eighty four gallons of spirits seized from smugglers were put up for auction in Blandford.

In 1781, the British Army fought in the Battle of Blandford. However, this skirmish did not take place in Dorset but in Blandford, USA.

In 1782, prizes for Blandford Races were one of £100 and three of £50.

In 1783, it cost eight shillings (40p) to send a letter from Blandford to York.

Henry Maidment was born in Tarrant Monkton. He was to serve in the Duke of Wellington’s army in the Spanish Peninsular War.

William Moulton was contracted to repair and widen Blandford Bridge for £840.

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True Lovers Knot - a Tragic Tale

True Lovers Knot public house describes itself as a traditional inn set in a picturesque Dorset valley in Tarrant Keynston. Yet, this historical hostelry is said to have gained its name from a particularly tragic tale and still to be haunted by a distressed former publican. This publican’s son met and fell in love with the daughter of the local squire. Because the young lad was not from the gentry they decided to keep their relationship secret from her father. Unfortunately, a stable hand saw the two young lovers together and told her father. Set firmly against this friendship the squire made plans to send his daughter away from the district. Not able to face up to life without her boyfriend, the young girl decided to commit suicide and hanged herself from a tree in the village. So upset was the publican’s son of hearing of his girlfriend’s death he too hanged himself from the same tree. The Tarrant Keynston publican had, himself lost his wife at child birth and now losing his s...

Holton Heath's Tragic Explosion

Ten were killed and 23 were injured according to newspaper reports at the time. This made it one of Dorset’s worst ever industrial accidents. Holton Heath employees were blown into unrecognisable fragments necessitating a roll call of the factory’s entire staff before the identities of those killed were identified. Eleven men were originally believed to have been killed but when a roll call was held one turned up. A crimson red plume of acid vapour had towered into the sky resembling the shuddering eruption of a volcano. It was caused by the bursting of a sulphuric acid tank. Close by low buildings vanished and the shock affected houses for 20 miles with roof slates dislodged, ornaments knocked down and windows broken. The sound of the explosion could be heard at Shillingstone some 18 miles away. Closer to the factory, a hoe was wrenched from the hands of a gardener who was flung against a tree. One fortunate employee, Charles Rogers owed his life to having to leave, just before the ...

Tarrant Rushton's Nuclear Secret

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