Osmington
| Osmington | |
|---|---|
 High Street, Osmington |
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 Osmington
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| Osmington shown within Dorset | |
| Population | 673 |
| OS grid reference | SY725829 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WEYMOUTH |
| Postcode district | DT3 |
| Dialling code | 01305 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Osmington is a village and civil parish in the District of West Dorset within Dorset, England, situated on the Jurassic Coast 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Weymouth. In the 2011 census the parish—which includes the small settlements of Upton, Ringstead and Osmington Mills—had a population of 673.
There is evidence of Bronze Age settlement in the area. The village's written history however begins in 940 when it is mentioned in a charter.
The oldest building in the village is the church, which was originally built in 1170 but has had alterations up to the 19th century. Residential buildings in the village date back to the 16th century.
To the northwest of the village, on White Horse Hill, is the Osmington White Horse, a large hill figure dating from 1808. It represents King George III.
John Constable (1776–1837), the leading English landscape artist, spent his honeymoon here in October 1816 and painted views of the local area. He stayed at the home of his friend Rev. John Fisher.
Osmington's economy was primarily agricultural until after the mid 20th century. With the decline in agricultural employment in the area, the village's character changed and it is now primarily occupied by people whose work is elsewhere. Whereas previously therefore there were several shops and tradesmen in the village, by the end of the 20th century there was no shop, most tradesmen had disappeared and the village pub had been closed, although this has been replaced by another inn. Despite the loss of local employment, the village, which at the end of World War II was so poor that large sections were condemned, has become affluent with a high proportion of professional and managerial residents (38.4% compared to a county average of 26.1% in 2001).
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Wikipedia