The town was listed in the Domesday Survey as Blaneford which means 'the place by the ford' but this was changed in the 13th century by the tax officials as they spoke mainly Latin, from chepping which ws the Saxon word for 'market' into forum which the Roman word for a public meeting place.

The growth of the town was seen in 1605 when it became formerly incorporated as a borough with its own portree or mayor and burgesses. Blandford was one of the polling places for the county elections and also the home of the Bishop of Bristol's registry for the archdeaconry of Dorset until the county was in 1836 transferred to Salisbury.

The town was destroyed by fire in 1713 and also in 1731. The first fire destroyed most of the east side of the twon and the second which was much more serious decimated practically everything that had survived the first. The only buildings that are here today predate these two fires are the Old House in the Close built c1660 and the Ryves Almshouses c1682 in Salisbury Street.

After the second fire the town was more or less rebuilt to the same street pattern that is except the centre of the market place which was left as an open space. Today the town is renowned as being one of the best preserved Georgian market towns in the country.

The most notable name in the town is Bastard! These were the brothers William and John who were local architects and entrepreneurs and were responsible for the rebuilding of the town. This is shown on the Fire Monument which was erected when the building programme was complete and designed and paid for by John Bastard.

The commercial growth of the town was greatly encouraged by the deliberate destruction of Milton Abbas a neighbouring town between 1771 and 1790 by the Earl of Dorchester who then built a more modest village. During the 19th century Blandford  grew steadily with housing being added along both Dorset and Orchard Streets and later the railway arrived and more housing was added to the streets that ran off of Salisbury Road.

IMAGES OF BLANDFORD FORUM
The shopping centre with the Town Hall and St Peters church dominating the area
Views of Red Lion Yard
A Dove cote in Red Lion Yard		The bridge over the River Stour a popular place for waterfowl

Panorama of the town centre

In the  town centre the main road is routed over a bridge that has six arches. Just outside of the town that Thomas Hardy called Shottsford Forum is the Royal School of Signals as well as the Corps Depot which was based at Catterick in Yorkshire, and has brought a lot of trade to the town and is now rumoured to be moving out to Wales.

St Leonard's chapel is the only mediaeval building built during the 13th century and lies to the east of the centre and was built as a leper hospital and then rebuilt during the 15th century as a home for the old.

During the 13th century French nuns were given this part of the town and gave Damory Street and Damory Court Street their names as this area was known as Dame Marie's Manor. The town also had three bishops and a painter and Sculptor named George Stevens who lived here in the 19th century. Bryanston Park lies on the banks of the Stour and is now a public school and its name is derived from Brian de Insula who during the reign of Henry III was a wealthy landowner.

The old town pump, and the Fire Monument, the tablets are  transcribed below 1768 JOHN BASTARD gave to the Bailiff and Burgesses of this Town 600 pounds in trust that the interest of 500 pounds be laid out every year in teaching 35 Boys and Girls to read and to buy proper Books And that the interest of the other 100 pounds be laid out in keeping the Pump in repair and supplying the Lamps with Oil and a Map to light the same every night from Michelmas to Lady Day forever.   IN REMEMBRANCE of God's dreadful Visitation by FIRE which broke out the 4th June 1731, and in few Hours reduced not only the CHURCH and almolst this whole Town to Ashes wherein 14 inhabitants perished but also two adjacent villages And DIVINE MERCY that has since saifed this Town. like the Phoenix from it's Ashes to its present beautiful and  flourishing State and to prevent by a timely Supply of Water (with God's Blessing) the fatal  Consequences of FIRE hereafter THIS MONUMENT of that disaster and provision against the like is humbly erected JOHN BASTARD, a considerable Sharer in the general Calamity 1760.

Among the most impressive buildings here is the Town Hall with its classical columns and arches. The church built in green stone as well as local stone from Portland were both built after the Great Fire, also in symetrical Georgian facades are Banks, hotels and shops. The Fire Monument has Grecian columns and the gable end is known as Bastards Pump as it was also built to supply water if another fire broke out.

The church which is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul contains the tomb of the Bastard family and this was also rebuilt by the brothers as part of the restoration work. They were also responsible for the building of the almshouses, grammar school as well as many other find town houses, mainly built in red brick. In front can be seen the Fire Monument.

The footbridge over the River Stour and the weir

THE CHURCH OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL