Sherborne

Sherborne is a market town and civil parish in north-west Dorset, England. It sits on the River Yeo, near the edge of the Blackmore Vale, about 6 miles east of Yeovil. The town includes smaller areas called Nether Coombe and Lower Clatcombe. The important A30 road, which links London with Penzance, passes through Sherborne. In the 2021 census, the town had a population of 10,361 people.

Sherborne has many historic buildings. One of the most famous is Sherborne Abbey. The town is also home to independent schools, an old manor house, and two castles. One castle is the ruin of a fortified palace from the 12th century, and the other is a grand mansion from the 16th century known as Sherborne Castle, built by Sir Walter Raleigh. Much of the old part of town, including parts of the abbey and many medieval and Georgian buildings, is made from a special honey-brown stone called Sherborne Stone.

Toponymy

The town was called "scir burne" by the Saxon people. This name means "clear stream" and comes from a small river that flows through the middle of the town. The name appears in the Domesday Book.

History

In 705, the area of Wessex was split between Sherborne and Winchester. King Ine created an abbey for St Aldhelm, the first Bishop of Sherborne, covering Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. King Alfred the Great's brothers, King Æthelbald and King Æthelberht, are buried there. In 1075, the bishop’s seat moved to Old Sarum, and the church became a Benedictine monastery. In 1437, a fire damaged the Abbey, but much of its Norman structure remains today.

During the English Civil War, Sherborne’s fortified palace was besieged and left in ruins. Today, its ruins are cared for by English Heritage. In 1594, Sir Walter Raleigh built an Elizabethan mansion in the grounds of the old palace, now called Sherborne Castle. Sherborne also became home to Captain Christopher Levett, an explorer of New England.

Governance

Sherborne is part of the West Dorset area in the UK parliament. As of 2024^[update], the elected representative is Edward Morello from the Liberal Democrats.

Locally, Sherborne is in the Dorset unitary authority. It elects two members to Dorset Council from the areas called Sherborne East and Sherborne West. There is also a smaller area called Sherborne Rural that includes nearby villages but not the town itself.

Sherborne has its own local group called the parish council, which is also known as Sherborne Town Council and has twelve members.

Demographics

In the year 2021, the town of Sherborne had 10,361 people living in 4,694 homes. Out of these people, 3,821 who were older than 16 had jobs. Most of these jobs were ones that needed a lot of skill.

Most people in Sherborne, about 92%, said they were white British. The rest, about 8%, were from black and minority ethnic groups. More than half of the people said they were Christian, and more than a third said they did not follow any religion.

A lot of people in Sherborne were older — about 28.7% were 65 years old or more. The average age in Sherborne was 45.1 years, which is older than the average in all of England (39.3 years). By 2024, it was thought that about 33.3% of people in Sherborne were 65 or older. This is more than in Dorset (30.5%) and much more than in all of England and Wales (18.9%).

Education

Sherborne has a long history of schools, dating back to the time of King Alfred. One famous school there is Sherborne School, which started in 1550 and is now an independent school. Many well-known people went to this school.

The town also had two older schools that merged in 1992 to become The Gryphon School. Today, there are two primary schools in the town: Sherborne Abbey Primary School and Sherborne Primary School.

There is also Sherborne School for Girls, founded in 1895, and Sherborne Preparatory School located nearby. Additionally, Leweston School began as a school for girls and later became a school for both boys and girls.

Transport

Sherborne has a train station called Sherborne railway station. It is on a major train line called the West of England Main Line. Trains run between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids, stopping in Salisbury.

There are also bus services operated by The Buses of Somerset and South West Coaches. These buses connect Sherborne to nearby towns such as Blandford Forum, Dorchester, Wincanton, and Yeovil.

Historic buildings

Sherborne has many important old buildings. There are 378 special buildings in the town and 23 more in the nearby countryside. These include 14 very important buildings and 21 especially important ones.

An old building called St Johns' House was created to help people in need. It was started in 1437 and finished in 1448. The building still helps people today.

The Abbey Gatehouse used to be part of an old monastery. After the monastery closed, the building was used for other purposes. Since 1966, it has been home to the Sherborne Museum.

Sherborne House, formerly Lord Digby school, was designed by Benjamin Bastard and is famous for a special painting inside. The town also has other old buildings, such as the Hospice of St Julian from 1405, a house built in 1297, and a chapel dedicated to St Emerenciana, which is the only one in the country to honor this saint. There is also the Conduit, originally built in 1520 and moved to the market place in 1560.

Churches

The most noticeable building in Sherborne is Sherborne Abbey, which is the main Church of England parish church. Another Church of England church in the town is St Paul's Church, found in the north-east part. The Bishop of Sherborne serves as a helper bishop in the Diocese of Salisbury.

There is also a Catholic church called the Church of The Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm, situated on Westbury. Additionally, Cheap Street Church is used by both Methodist and United Reformed groups. This church was built in steps during the mid to late 1800s and has special historical protection.

Environment and community

Sherborne has a lively green community with many groups working on the environment and sustainability. The Quarr Local Nature Reserve uses an old quarry and landfill site for nature activities. In 2009, Sherborne became a transition town, organizing projects and events to help with climate change and peak oil. The Sherborne Repair Café meets once a month to help fix items instead of throwing them away.

Pack Monday Fair

For many years, the town has held a big street fair called the Pack Monday Fair. It begins on the Monday after October 10th, a day known as Old Michaelmas Day. What started as a fair for farmers is now filled with fun stalls, games, and a large playground for everyone to enjoy.

Media

The local radio station is Abbey104, a community-based station that broadcasts to the town and nearby areas in Dorset and Somerset.

The town’s local newspapers are the Sherborne Times and Dorset Echo.

Sport and leisure

Sherborne has several sports clubs. There is a football club called Sherborne Town FC, a cricket club named Sherborne CC, and a rugby club known as Sherborne RFC. These clubs offer fun activities for people who enjoy sports.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom

Sherborne is part of a group of 24 towns across the European Union that work together as friends. This friendship started in 1991, and the towns often have fun events like markets and festivals.

There are also talks to welcome three more towns: Agros in Cyprus, Škofja Loka in Slovenia, and Tryavna in Bulgaria.

• Altea, Spain – 1991
• Bad Kötzting, Germany – 1991
• Bellagio, Italy – 1991
• Bundoran, Ireland – 1991
• Granville, France – 1991
• Holstebro, Denmark – 1991
• Houffalize, Belgium – 1991
• Meerssen, the Netherlands – 1991
• Niederanven, Luxembourg – 1991
• Preveza, Greece – 1991
• Sesimbra, Portugal – 1991
• Karkkila, Finland – 1997
• Oxelösund, Sweden – 1998
• Judenburg, Austria – 1999
• Chojna, Poland – 2004
• Kőszeg, Hungary – 2004
• Sigulda, Latvia – 2004
• Sušice, Czech Republic – 2004
• Türi, Estonia – 2004
• Zvolen, Slovakia – 2007
• Prienai, Lithuania – 2008
• Marsaskala, Malta – 2009
• Siret, Romania – 2010.

Sherbourne Street and Sherbourne (TTC) subway station in Toronto, Canada, were named after the town. It was the birthplace of Upper Canada official and Toronto resident Thomas Ridout.

Notable residents

See also: List of Old Shirburnians

Sherborne has been home to many interesting people. Mike Davis (1942–2022) was a rugby player and coach for England. John Hyatt (1767–1826) was an important pastor and missionary. Rev. Sir James Marchant, a social reformer, passed away here in 1956. Andrew Simpson, an Olympic sailor, lived in Sherborne. Michael Walford, an Olympic field hockey player, also lived and worked here for many years.