Motcombe

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Motcombe
Motcombe shown within Dorset
Population	1404 ^[1]
OS grid reference	ST8526
Parish	Motcombe
District	North Dorset
Shire county	Dorset
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SHAFTESBURY
Postcode district	SP7
Dialling code	01747
Police	Dorset
Fire	Dorset
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	North Dorset
List of places: UK • England • Dorset

Coordinates: 51°01′55″N 2°13′08″W / 51.032, -2.219

Motcombe is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Blackmore Vale half way between the market towns of Gillingham and Shaftesbury. The village has a population of 1,404 (2001).

Motcombe has an excellent Church of England Primary School, a village shop and Post Office, a pub (The Royal Oak in the centre of the village and a country hotel, The Coppleridge Inn on the edge of the village) and the kennels for the South & West Wilts hunt. A former private primary school in the centre of the village, Motcombe Grange, was developed in 2006/7 into retirement homes. On the south-west edge of the village is Motcombe Park which is home to Port Regis a large private preparatory school. The village also has two sets of boarding kennels: Lakemead Kennels and Turnpike Boarding Kennels & Catteries as well as a garage (Motcombe Garage) and a riding school and livery stables at Meaders Farm both of which can be found at the bottom of The Hollow which is the road which leads to Shaftesbury.

[edit] Activities

Motcombe has an active band of church bell ringers. St Mary the Virgin is affiliated to the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers (SDGR). Ringing practice takes place at the tower every Thursday 1930 to 2100hrs and the bells are rung for every Sunday service starting 0900hrs. The bell ringers maintain their own website 'The Motcombe Ringers'.

In 2006 a building development to provide a wide range of architecturally-sensitive housing, including affordable housing, was started on the old Case & Sons abbatoir site adjacent to and opposite Motcombe Grange. The development was by Bloor Homes and was completed in 2007.