Purbeck

Encyclopedia : P : PU : PUR : Purbeck

Purbeck District

Shown within Dorset
Geography
Status: District
Region: South West England
Admin. County: Dorset
Area:
- Total Ranked 117th
404.40 km²
Admin. HQ: Wareham
ONS code: 19UG
Demographics
Population:
- Total ()
- Density Ranked {{EnglishDistrictRank

/ km²
Ethnicity: 98.8% White
Politics
Purbeck District Council
http://www.purbeck-dc.gov.uk/
Leadership: Leader & Cabinet
Executive:
MPs: Annette Brooke, Jim Knight
Purbeck is a local government district in Dorset, England, named for the Isle of Purbeck. Its council is based in Wareham.

Purbeck District
Shown within Dorset
Geography
Status:	District
Region:	South West England
Admin. County:	Dorset
Area: - Total	Ranked 117th 404.40 km²
Admin. HQ:	Wareham
ONS code:	19UG
Demographics
Population: - Total () - Density	Ranked {{EnglishDistrictRank / km²
Ethnicity:	98.8% White
Politics
Purbeck District Council http://www.purbeck-dc.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:
MPs:	Annette Brooke, Jim Knight

The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974, from the former municipal borough of Wareham, Swanage urban district and Wareham and Purbeck Rural District.

It is regarded as one of the pretiest areas on the south coast of England.

Contents

1 Purbeck stone
2 Settlements
3 Places of interest
4 External links

Purbeck stone

Purbeck stone is a hard, semi-metamorphosed limestone, formed of shells of freshwater and brackish snails, which can be seen in cut slabs. The stone is hard enough to take a fine polish, giving it the name of "Purbeck marble", even though it is not metamorphosed by sufficient heat and pressure to have been converted into true marble. In seams of the stone, which lie between layers of softer marine clays and mudstone, laid down in repeated marine ingressions, mineral impurities give some Purbeck stone fine red and green varieties. Purbeck stone was first quarried in medieval times and can be seen in virtually all the cathedrals of the south of England, in columns and slab panels and flooring.

Settlements

Settlements with a population over 2,500 are in bold.

Affpuddle, Arne
Bere Regis, Bloxworth
Chaldon Herring, Church Knowle, Coombe Keynes, Corfe Castle
East Lulworth, East Stoke
Kimmeridge
Langton Matravers, Lytchett Matravers, Lytchett Minster
Morden, Moreton
Steeple, Studland, Swanage
Turners Puddle
Wareham, West Lulworth, Winfrith Newburgh, Wool, Worth Matravers
Upton

Places of interest

Ballard Down, Blue Pool, Brownsea Island
Chaldon Down, Chapman's Pool, Clouds Hill, Corfe Castle
Dancing Ledge, Dunshay Manor, Durdle Door, Durlston Country Park
Godlingstone Heath, Godlingstone Manor
Hambury Tout
Jurassic Coast (A World Heritage Site)
Lulworth Castle, Lulworth Cove
Kimmeridge
Nine Barrow Down
Old Harry Rocks
Poole Harbour, Purbeck Heritage Coast
Smedmore Hill, South West Coast Path, St Aldhelm's Head, Studland Bay, Swanage Railway, Swyre Head
Tyneham
Worbarrow Tout, Wareham Forest, Winspit, Wytch Farm

External links

[Geology of the Wessex Coast]

Districts of South West England
Bath and North East Somerset \| Bournemouth \| Bristol \| Caradon \| Carrick \| Cheltenham \| Christchurch \| Cotswold \| East Devon \| East Dorset \| Exeter \| Forest of Dean \| Gloucester \| Isles of Scilly \| Kennet \| Kerrier \| Mendip \| Mid Devon \| North Cornwall \| North Devon \| North Dorset \| North Somerset \| North Wiltshire \| Penwith \| Plymouth \| Poole \| Purbeck \| Restormel \| Salisbury \| Sedgemoor \| South Gloucestershire \| South Hams \| South Somerset \| Stroud \| Swindon \| Taunton Deane \| Teignbridge \| Tewkesbury \| Torbay \| Torridge \| West Devon \| West Dorset \| West Somerset \| West Wiltshire \| Weymouth and Portland
Counties with multiple districts: Cornwall - Devon - Dorset - Gloucestershire - Somerset - Wiltshire

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