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Related Topics:Purbeck_District
| Purbeck District | |
|---|---|
| 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 / 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.
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
"Purbeck"