Godmanstone (or Godmanston) is a village and civil parish in Dorset in southern England, situated approximately north of the county town Dorchester. Its name means "Godman's Farm" and it is sited by the River Cerne amongst chalk hills of the Dorset Downs.
The Smiths Arms Godmanstone used to have a pub — The Smiths Arms — which claimed to be the smallest in Britain, with the interior measuring by . The story attached to the claim was that the original licence was granted by Charles II when he requested that the village blacksmith serve him a glass of porter. The smith refused because he had no licence, so Charles granted him one on the spot and was served his drink. The licence only applied to the smithy; adjacent living quarters, subsequently used by drinkers, were larger. The business closed at the start of 2011.
Holy Trinity Church
The parish church is partly Norman, chiefly perpendicular, with a tower; and was recently repaired. A tune 'Godmanstone' by Cyril Vincent Taylor 1907-1991, vicar of nearby Cerne Abbas 1958-1969, was set in Hymns Ancient and Modern New Standard (#399i), part of which he edited, to the hymn 'Lord, we are blind'.
Demographics + Census population of Godmanstone parish Census Population Female Male Households Source 1921 111 1931 95 1951 120 1961 121 1971 140 1981 120 1991 120 2001 171 85 86 67 2011 156 82 74 63 2021 166 85 81 67
Notable inhabitants Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington (ca.1579–1652) came from Godmanstone. He was the English lord treasurer and ambassador and leader of the pro-Spanish, pro-Roman Catholic faction in the court of Charles I.
References
External links Flight of Prince Charles from Worcester