Kimmeridge

Kimmeridge is a parish on the south coast on the Isle of Purbeck about 10 miles south from Wareham.  The parishes of Steeple and Church Knowle are to the west and north with Corfe Castle to the east. The church, which has recently been dedicated to St Nicholas, is small and plain and parts of it are about 800 years old. Within are memorials to the Clavells of Smedmore. The registers date from 1694. The geological structure of the coast is interesting and the bituminous shale found here burns with a strong light.

Kimmeridge Church about 1950

One of the chief employers in the parish in the 19th century was the Coastguard Station. There was a Post Office and telegraph office and a National School which was built in 1866. The parish comprises 1570 acres which is mainly clay and is laid to pasture. The population in 1841 was 154, in 1861 it was 185, in 1881 there were 171 and in 1901 it was down to 126.

Photographs from old postcards and text extracted from Kelly's Directory for 1895. Postcard on the left is circa 1910.

There is no OPC for Kimmeridge at present. If you would be interested in taking the parish on please contact the OPC coordinator
All of the following data has been kindly donated to the OPC Project, further contributions are always welcome