| Static image name | Seaborough, parish church of St. John - geograph.org.uk - 445179.jpg |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50.85°N 2.813°W |
| Population | 60 |
| Unitary england | Dorset |
| Lieutenancy england | Dorset |
| Region | South West England |
| Constituency westminster | West Dorset |
| Os grid reference | ST429060 |
Seaborough is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is sited in the valley of the River Axe and lies approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Crewkerne in Somerset. The parish was historically in Somerset, part of the hundred of Crewkerne,[1] but was transferred to Dorset in 1896.[2][3] In 2013 the estimated population of the civil parish was 60.[4]
The village church is small and mostly not of ancient construction. Ralph Wightman, broadcaster, agriculturist and a native of Dorset, described it as "delightful", and claimed that the round arch of the porch was so low it "would remove the hat of any man of average height."[5]
Seaborough lies on the northern side of the Axe valley, beneath the 204-metre (669-foot) Seaborough Hill. The minor lane which passes through the village and up the hill is noted for being particularly steep.[3] At the bottom of the village the river is crossed by a small stone bridge, close to which is an old ducking pool, into which scolding wives would historically have been dipped in an attempt to 'cure' them of their condition.[6]
In March 2013 a fire at the 100-metre (330-foot) piggery at Seaborough Manor destroyed the building and killed about nine hundred pigs. Fifty firefighters took about three hours to tackle the blaze.[7]
References
- ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- ^ Hart, J.W. (2020). "The Changing Boundaries of Somerset". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. p. 167. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Seaborough". Dorset Online Parish Clerk. 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
- ^ "Parish Population Data". Dorset County Council. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ Ralph Wightman (1983). Portrait of Dorset. 4 ed. Robert Hale Limited. p. 151. ISBN 0 7090 0844 9.
- ^ West Dorset Holiday and Tourist Guide. West Dorset District Council. c. 1983. p. 17.
- ^ "Hundreds of pigs die in Beaminster farm fire". BBC. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.