Introduction :

Winterbourne Steepleton is a delightful village and parish some 4 miles south west of the county town of Dorchester, Dorset. The parish is roughly rectangular in shape of some 1800 acres (729 hectares) in area. It is fortunate in having three landscape types : the valley floor where the village is located; the steep valley slopes - either side of this floor where the South Winterbourne stream runs and the chalk uplands to the north and south of the main valley. There are a number of deep coombes to the south along with the South Dorset Ridgeway all of which contribute to produce rich and varied surroundings. The parish is within a Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the village itself is in a local conservation area.

The South Winterbourne stream rises in Winterbourne Abbas just to the west and runs through a restricted channel following the line of the road prior to finding its natural course in the valley to the east of the village. It runs down the South Winterbourne valley to the south of Dorchester, flows into the River Frome and reaches the sea in Poole harbour some 25 miles to the east of the village. The village (church) is about 92 metres above sea level.

It is an ancient area with 49 round barrows, large areas of Celtic fields, a Church with Saxon orgins, strip lynchets and surviving 16th and 17th century buildings in the original eastern end of the village. 

   The Dorset Online Parish Clerk (OPC) for Winterbourne Steepleton is : 

   Richard Crumbleholme

            Old Manor Cottage, Winterbourne Steepleton, Dorset DT2 9LG

            e mail : r.crumbleholme (type @ here) gmail.com

Part of the Dorset Online Parish Clerks Network - Links to : Dorset OPC HOME PAGE

On line Parish Clerks are private volunteers who research the history of their villages and the families who lived in them. The OPC is nothing to do with the village's Parish Council.

St Michael's Church, Winterbourne Steepleton                 (photos RC)                                      The famous Saxon Stone Angel  

Please click on the menus and sub menus on the left hand side to navigate this website.

You may have to click on the 3 bars in the top left corner if you are viewing on a small device.

Please use the magnifying glass "search" box (top RHS) to search this site

All transcriptions on this site are intended for use in personal and private research only. 

and may NOT be used for any commercial purpose

The writer excepts no responsibility for accuracy or for any comments made.

Website created June 2011  - Updated to Google New sites November 2020

My other Dorset OPC websites are :

Winterbourne Abbas OPC : https://sites.google.com/view/winterbourne-abbas

Dorset Windmills (linked from main Dorset OPC) : sites.google.com/site/dorsetwindmills