Shaftesbury Holy Trinity

Church of  the Holy Trinity

Shaftesbury is a town on the Dorset border, 28 miles north-east from Dorchester. Roman coins have been found during excavations and the town was mentioned in the Domesday Book. An abbey was established in the 6th century and it was a place of pilgrimage at one time. The town is on a hill for which there is a steep ascent. The parish of St Peter covers the main part of the town, St James covers the lower part of the town and was described as mainly small tenements in the 19th century. Holy Trinity is to the south and west. Under the Local Government Act of 1894 large parts of the  three parishes became the borough of Shaftesbury. Holy Trinity church which is in Bimport Street was completely rebuilt on the old site in 1842.

It is built in the Early English style and comprises nave, aisles, north and south galleries, choir, north and south porches and square embattled western tower, 100 feet in height, with pinnacles and containing six bells. It will seat 834 persons. The churchyard of the Holy Trinity contains three handsome avenues of lime trees. The church registers date from 1581.  The population of the civil parish in 1871 was 974 and 907 in 1891. The area covers 353 acres.

Barton Hill
Both photographs courtesy of Adrian Parry ©

The Online Parish Clerk (OPC) for Shaftesbury is Jan Genge Kennedy
Jan can be contacted by email by clicking on her name above, please put OPC Shaftesbury in the subject of your emails