| Hilton | |
|---|---|
 Hilton | |
  Hilton Location within Dorset | |
| Population | 477 |
| OS grid reference | ST782030 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Blandford Forum |
| Postcode district | DT11 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Hilton is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England. It is sited at an elevation of 135 metres (443 feet) in a small valley which drains chalk hills in the eastern part of the Dorset Downs, approximately 8 miles (13 kilometres) west-southwest of the town of Blandford Forum. The summit of Bulbarrow Hill (274 m or 899 ft) is 1+1⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometres) north of the village. In the 2011 census the parish—which includes the settlement of Ansty to the west—had 231 dwellings, [1] 206 households and a population of 477. [2]
Hilton used to form a part of the estate of the nearby Milton Abbey when it was owned by the rich Hambro family; the Hambros, who often used to entertain Edward VII, planted woods on the surrounding hills, to provide cover for pheasants. [3] However the woods surrounding Hilton today are mostly post-war plantations of beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) and ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ) as the hills were cleared during WW2. Large areas are privately owned, although there are open access areas owned and managed by the Forestry Commission.[ citation needed ]
The church of All Saints is a typical Dorset country church and is mainly in the late Gothic style. In the north aisle a fine range of windows from the cloisters of Milton Abbey have been reused. The fan vault in the porch probably comes from the same source. Also from the abbey are a set of 12 panels with paintings of the Apostles: these are of high quality and early 16th century in date. [4]
In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Hilton like this:
HILTON, a parish in Blandford district, Dorset; under Bulbarrow camp, 7+1⁄2 miles [12 kilometres] WSW of Blandford town and r. station. It contains the hamlets of Aller, Anstey, and Hartsfoot-Lane; and its post town is Milton-Abbas, under Blandford. Acres, 2, 974. Real property, £3, 945. Pop., 833. Houses, 162. The property is divided among a few. Orchards and gardens occupy considerable space. Slate, coal, and bog iron abound; and some gold has been found. There are many mineral springs. Druidical remains, Roman urns and coins, early English coins, and other ancient relics have been found. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Salisbury. Value, £.273.* Patron, the Bishop of Salisbury. The church is tolerable, and has a tower. [5]
