The town of Beaminster is unfailingly interesting, no matter where one wanders. Can you think of another town with a weir and a ford, or with a church that is equipped with both a barrel-driven hymn-playing chime mechanism and a lift?
The above is clearly a view shared by English Heritage as there are 125 listings for the town centre alone. Note that some, indeed quite a few listings, are for multiple buildings, so there are dozens upon dozens of interesting man-made stuctures to admire.
Another delightful thing about Beaminster is that, although there are many ancient and beautiful edifices, the planners have not preserved the town in aspic and sympathetic development has infilled the town in a much more attractive way than can be said of very many other towns, most recently with the converted school on East Street. The overriding colour is the honey of the local stone, which although it is friable looks equally if not more attractive when weathered than it does when freshly dressed.
Nature firstly frames the town in a delightful valley, in which there are handsome former industrial buildings, beautiful gardens, quiet back lanes all placed around the square, which, as well as being the beating heart of the town also has remarkably good value parking.
There are plenty of places to break up an amble around Beaminster with a coffee, cake or something even more substantial, so take your time as you visit one of West Dorset’s marvels.
