Village Utilities

It may seem strange to us in the 21st century but it was not long ago that basic services did not exist.

Late C19th ?  Localised piped water supply from the water mill serving a few houses in the immediate area (I found a pipe in front of my Old Manor Cottage). This was powered by a second smaller wheel in the mill using a ram pump to pressurise the supply. Full details : The Water Mill  

1927 - Parish minutes note that a telephone service was to be installed from Dorchester

1930/1940's - Not certain when mains electricity was brought to the village

1932  - Weekly rubbish bin collection started by District Council.

Post 1945 - Mains water supply brought to Abbas & Steepleton - this was noted as planned in parish council meeting during WW2.

c1925 - Bus service  - see History of the Bus Service 

A35 Petrol station / garage - when did this start ?  Note : Dorset History Centre holds a photograph (Herbert Collection) taken in 1961 and entitled - "site for proposed garage / service station".  This site is in Steepleton parish with the Abbas boundary immediately on the west side.

1973 - Mains sewerage installed starting in Abbas and running down through Steepleton to a pumping station just east of Martinstown. Some residents in Martinstown were not wholly in agreement !

1978 - Mains Gas supply reached Abbas. (White Friars was one of the first to have it installed ?)

1980's - A35 Bypass for Winterbourne Abbas first discussed. It got to the consultation stage but was scrapped by John Prescott when the Labour Government came to power in 1997.

2012 - Fast fibre broadband reached the area - only to exchanges.

2019 - Overhead National Grid Pylons removal project started due to be completed by the end of 2022.

2020 - New mobile phone masts erected on west side of A35 at east side of Abbas village sign. A lot of problems and has not improved reception at all !

2023 - A taller mast installed at the 2020 site and mobile reception improved.