THESE old pictures show a west Dorset village that once proudly boasted five pubs!
Netherbury is scenically sited on the River Brit and has a church that's around 500 years old.
An extract from the 1880 Kelly's Directory lists the pubs of Netherbury: "These were the Star Inn, Hare & Hounds, New Inn, Blue Ball and Crook Inn. At nearby Salway Ash, there is the Rising Sun."
The area of the entire parish, which is five miles north of Bridport, was 6,225 acres and the population in 1871 was 1,809 persons.
These old images of Netherbury were taken by Bridport photographer Claud Hider and date from 1922 onwards.
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The evocative pictures show a village store, a post office and St Mary's church.
St Mary's Church contains an alabaster monument to the More family and several admirable stained glass windows. There are two chapels, one for Baptists and one for Wesleyans.
The grammar school was amalgamated with Tucker's Charity and moved to Beaminster. There were several other substantial charities in the parish.
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There were two flax and tow factories in the parish creating much employment. Melplash Court is the former manor house, Strode & Slape House and Hatchlands are also notable.
A national school was erected in 1863 and enlarged in 1879, Mr Wm Dodd was the master and Miss Muxworthy was mistress of the national school at Salway Ash.
Construction of Holy Trinity Church at nearby Salway Ash commenced in 1887 and it was consecrated in 1890.
The church is in the early English style by architects Crickmay of Weymouth. Prior to the building of the present church, the vicar of Beaminster and Netherbury, the Reverend William Bookland BA, built a chapel of ease at Coles Ash, which opened in 1842.
The new building was only a licensed room for divine services. This meant that funerals and weddings had to be conducted at Netherbury. The chapel doubled during the week as a schoolroom.
Thanks to Neil Mattingly of freshford.com for the digital archive of Claud Hider's images and to the informative Dorset OPC site at www.opcdorset.org/
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