Poxwell

Poxwell (or Pokeswell as it is pronounced and often found written), is a hamlet in South Dorset located approximately 6 miles east of Weymouth. The current population of the village is around 50. The name originates from the ‘Pokes well’ - a well dating from the period when occupied by the Romans in the 1st century which is located on a hillside in the village. In 1989, English Heritage excavated a site nearby to this and found ruins of a settlement dating to around the same period, in which various artefacts were found.

The oldest building in the village is the tithe barn that dates from the 13th century, which is a Grade I listed building. It remains in very good condition and has had various uses throughout it's history including; a tithe collection point, a corn mill, a stable, a hay barn and has held many church services there; in recent times they are held during the harvest festival period.

The Manor House which was built in 1613 is typical Jacobean style, and had remained in the Trenchard family from 1699 until the 1970s. Since then the previous owner held many charitable functions in which one of its visitors was Princess Anne on 14th June 1997.

There was once a small church standing alongside the Manor, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist that dated to around the 12th century. This was rebuilt by John Trenchard (who built the Trenchard cottages that line the road in 1843) in 1868, only to be demolished a hundred years later in 1969 as it was too costly to maintain and it was believed to be unsafe; ironically it took two steel cables to pull the spire down.

On the edge of the village stands Cairn Circle – a small stone circle that is said to have been worshipped by the druids during pagan worship over two millenniums ago. It has been dubbed “mini Stonehenge”, being just fourteen feet in diameter.