Wool & Bovington
WOOL
This village is near the southern bank of the River Frome and lies 1½ miles northwest of Coombe Keynes and it is generally regarded that the name comes from Welle from the springs that are plentifull in this area. Woolbridge is medieval in origin and the present bridge is stone dating back to the 16th century but has had some later repairs done in brick.

Today the village is scattered and is a mixture of old and modern properties.

The church which is dedicated to Holy Rood is on gentle rising ground in what is now the south part of Wool and the villages think it originally formed the centre of the village. Originally when Wool became a separate parish, it was a parochial 'chapel of ease' that belonged to Coombe Keynes until 1844 .

The mother church at Coombe Keynes was made redundant in 1974 so Holy Rood became the parish church. Early parts seem to come from the 1320s but thre is no definite date of its building on record.

 

Thomas Hardy's Great Heath includes Wool and Gallows Hill as well as the old Abbey and thousands of soldiers of the Royal Armoured Corp will have memories os an oil lamp lit little station and the cry of "Change here for Lulworth and Bovington" because Bovington in the home of the famous Tank Museum.

It is thought that Wellbridge House, was the old seat of the Turbevilles family where Angel Clare and Tess the heroine of Hardy spent their doomed honeymoon and the ruins of Bindon Abbey is the place where the sleep-walking Angel Clare carried Tess and placed her in an empty stone coffin. Bindon Abbey lies a mile from Wool and this was built here in 1172 on land that was given by Roger de Newburg and his wife Matilda.  Most of the abbey was burnt down in 1664 and the last abbot surrendered in 1539 to the King and the stone was used in the building of Lulworth Castle.

BOVINGTON
Gallows Hill is used as a viewpoint for the dignitaries and high ranking officers from all over the world to view the new armoured vehicles that are based here and at Clouds Hill which is nearby is the cottage of Lawrence of Arabia who met his death on the heaths lonely roads. Bovington Tank Museum contains armoured fighting vehicles from many  countries and these range from the very first tanks ever built right up to the tanks of today and it is said that a group of visiting German officers arrived at the door with two crates of champagne and asked if they could have their tank back!

The most treasured vehicle hers is The Flirt which was one of the first tanks ever produced and used in WWI and has stood on guard at the main gate for 30 yers and was handed back to the city of Lincoln where it was built