Adventure and adventurers > Black's guide to Dorsetshire

Route 3.
73
There is a station at POORTON (population, 109), which is
available for the inhabitants of Beaminster. On the left rises
the ancient hill of Eggardon (p. 70). Near Bridport we pass,
on our right, the village of ARLINGTON (population, 1748).
BRANCH ROUTE—MAIDEN NEWTON to AXMINSTER,
24 miles.
Our road at first runs in a north-westerly direction; hut when
we reach the point of intersection of the Evershot road we turn
to the left, and descend the hills to BEAMINSTER (population,
2832), locally pronounced Bemminster, a clean, airy town, seated
upon the small stream of the Birt, which is made to contribute
to its drainage. Beaminster was burnt to the ground in 1644,
when Prince Maurice and the Royalists occupied it, through the
carelessness of a drunken trooper. In 1684 and 1788 it also
suffered severely from conflagrations. The Church, mainly
Early English, has an embattled tower, 98 feet high, and some
memorials of the Strode family.
The principal Inn is named “ The White Hart.” The market
days are every Wednesday, and are notable for their show of
Dorset cheese and dairy produce.
BROAD WINDSOR, 2h miles (population, 1516) is a pictu¬
resquely situated village, of more than ordinary neatness. The
vicarage was held from 1634 until about 1650 by quaint old
Thomas Fuller (bom 1608, died 1661), who finished here his
“History of the Holy War.” The Church remains in much the
same condition as when its pulpit was occupied by the sage and
witty author of “ The Worthies.”
The road now takes the valley, and passes between the re¬
markable sister-bills of Pillesdon, left, and Lewesdon, right,
two elevations of the greensand which, from a certain similarity
of appearance, have been named by sailors “ The Cow and the
Calf.” Lewesdon Hill has been celebrated in very florid lan¬
guage by the Rev. William Crowe. On Pillesdon Pen exists an
ancient oval camp, defended by a triple vallum and fosse. It is
934 feet above the sea-level, and the loftiest point in Dorsetshire.
A local couplet runs,—
“ Friends as much akin,
As Lew’son Hill to Pil’s’on Pen,—