Beaminster

Beaminster
Beaminster town centre
Beaminster Location within Dorset
Population	3,177 2021 census[1]
OS grid reference	ST4701
• London	145 miles (233 km)
Civil parish	Beaminster
Unitary authority	Dorset
Ceremonial county	Dorset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Beaminster
Postcode district	DT8
Dialling code	01308
Police	Dorset
Fire	Dorset and Wiltshire
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	West Dorset
Website	Beaminster Town Council
List of places UK England Dorset 50°48′32″N 2°44′21″W / 50.809°N 2.7391°W / 50.809; -2.7391

Beaminster (/ˈbɛmɪnstər/ BEM-in-stər) is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England, approximately 15 miles (24 km) northwest of the county town Dorchester. It is sited in a bowl-shaped valley near the source of the small River Brit. The population of Beaminster parish was recorded as 3,177 in the 2021 census.^[1]

Beaminster is the product of the Anglo-Saxon age, dating back to around the 7th century, when it was known as Bebingmynster, meaning the church of Bebbe^[2] although the date of origin of the town is unknown. The place name and historic evidence indicates that it was probably the site of a primary Saxon minster church and was at the centre of a large episcopal estate. These are likely to have acted as a focus for a settlement, but evidence of its formation is lacking.^[3]

In its history Beaminster has been a centre of manufacture of linen and woollens, the raw materials for which were produced in the surrounding countryside. The town experienced three serious fires in the 17th and 18th centuries; the first of these, during the English Civil War, almost destroyed the fabric of the town.

Beaminster's parish church – the Church of St Mary – is notable for its architecture, particularly its tower, and is grade I listed.^[4]