| Hilton |
| The Parish of Hilton is 8½ miles
southwest of Blandford and is in a valley near Milton Abbey and the tiny
hamlet of the same name has church that appears to dominate the place
whose name derives from a wild flower, "the village under the
hill of yellow flowers" the name being Saxon and believed they gave
it the name of Heltona from 'helde' which means tansy, a bitter
aromatic plant which grows on the slopes above the village and was often
used to flavour cakes. Many Roman
coins have been found in the parish as well as other artefacts and also
on Bulbarrow hill which was a Celtic hill fort. The Victorians did their restoration in1891 and in 1863 a National School was built, employment was mostly in the brewery at nearby Ansty. There are also some fine views from the top of Bulbarrow Hill which is 900ft above sea level and on a clear day you can see the Purbecks, Mere, Vale of Blackmoor, Sturminster Newton and the Stour valley |