Gillingham, Dorset
| Gillingham | |
|---|---|
 High Street, Gillingham |
|
 Gillingham
|
|
| Gillingham shown within Dorset | |
| Population | 11,756 |
| OS grid reference | ST805265 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GILLINGHAM |
| Postcode district | SP8 |
| Dialling code | 01747 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Gillingham 
i/ˈɡɪlɪŋəm/ is a town and civil parish in the Blackmore Vale area of Dorset, England. It lies on the B3095 and B3081 roads in the North Dorset administrative district, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the A303 trunk road and 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Shaftesbury. It is the most northerly town in the county. In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 11,756. The neighbouring hamlets of Peacemarsh, Bay and Wyke have become part of Gillingham as it has expanded.
Gillingham is pronounced with a hard initial 'G' as in 'Goat', unlike Gillingham, Kent, which is pronounced with a soft 'G' as in 'Germany'.
There is a stone age barrow in the town, and evidence of Roman settlement in the 2nd and 3rd centuries; however the town was established by the Saxons. The church of St Mary the Virgin has a Saxon cross shaft dating from the 9th century.
...
Wikipedia