Save The Children Fair at Herrison Hall in November 2008
Welcome to the Charlton Down village website
Charlton Down village is in the Parish of Charminster, just a few miles north of Dorchester, the county town of Dorset. The village is home to nearly 1400 residents and is still a relatively new. You can find out more about the history of the village in the pages of this website.
We welcome new ideas and contributions. Any one or any Club, Association, Business or Group may have their interests featured on the website, including anyone hiring The Herrison Hall Ballroom or other facilities in the Village Hall. If you have any comments about the website or wish to add some content, please drop us a line. Click here for contact details. You can see what is being planned and discussed at local and parish level with minutes of the Charlton Down Residents Association meetings available together with dates of upcoming meetings.
Weather report and outlook for Dorchester
Are big cats roaming Dorset?
Tennis Courts
The Parish Council now own the two tennis courts at Charlton Down. From 5 April players will need to book in the village shop and pay a small fee (50p under 16 and £1 per adult for an hour). There will also be clear rules. The courts are available to all members of the whole parish - Charminster and Charlton Down.
Booking system is now in operation. Would users
please ensure that they do not wander around the private gardens (including summerhouse) when entering or leaving the courts.
Christmas 2008 rubbish collection
Local businesses
If you are a local business and would like to advertise on our pages or perhaps you want to find a local business, just follow the links to find out more.
Charlton Down Facilities
We have a fantastic village shop , which was recently picked by Independent Achievers Academy as one of the best independent shops in the country. Congratulations to our shop proprietor Jim Leese and his team
The lower paddock at Charlton Down
The area below the orchard is being re-worked into a nature area and wildlife pond, following a successful £10,000 Lottery bid by the Parish Council. The work will take place over the next 12 months and would benefit from volunteers to help with everything from planting to lining the pond. Carved benches will also be designed and made by local children in the summer with the assistance and training of a local wood carver. For further details of how you can help and get involved contact the Parish Clerk. The pond liner is now in place and the Fire Service have filled the pond.
Multi Use Games Area (MUGA)
MUGA planning application was approved in August. This link lists the approval date:
A new history of Herrison Hospital
By Hugh Jaques • County Archivist
Connecting Dorset
Thanks to the Connecting Dorset Scheme jointly delivered by Dorset Community Action (DCA), Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils and Citizens Online, Charlton Down Village Hall (Herrison Hall) has broadband access, a laptop computer and a colour printer, free for all to use. If you need to use a computer and the Internet for a project, homework or require access to public document etc this is for you.
JOB VACANCY
Charminster Parish Council Clerk
70 hours per month (up to £770 a month plus allowances and expenses)
NOTE : NEW INCREASED SALARY RANGE up to £11.042 an hour
Charminster Parish Council is seeking applicants for the post of Clerk to the Council and Responsible Financial Officer. The vacancy is available immediately.
The Clerk plays a vital role in the life of Charminster and Charlton Down. He or she will not only make the Council work effectively but also put its decisions into action. The job includes responsibility for preparing minutes, giving advice to the Council, correspondence, all financial affairs and purchasing, and the management of all the Council's assets.
Previous local government experience would be useful, but it not essential as training would be available. You would need to have IT and note-taking skills, have the ability to communicate well and be able to work on your own initiative.
In addition to a salary based on the Local Government starting at SCP17(£8.635 per hour) up to SCP25 (subject to negotiation), there are agreed allowances for the use of a car and for the use of your home as an office, and holiday pay.
The Full Council regularly meets on six evenings a year; there will be additional Council and Committee meetings on an ad hoc basis. The contracted hours and any agreed overtime can be worked on a flexitime basis.
For more information talk to:
Mark Simons, the Chairman, on 01305 260055.
Applications by letter and CV to Mark Simons, Mill Farmhouse, Mill Lane, Charminster DT2 9QP by 1st December
Items discussed at Parish Meeeting 4th November relevant to Charlton Down
Due to ill health the position of Parish Clerk was not filled as had been expected. This position to be re-advertised in The Pilot, the Dorset Echo and the local notice board. The salary scale is to be significantly increased to hopefully attract some applicants with previous experience in this kind of work.
Parish Council is to donate £60 to Charlton Down Residents Association for further bulb planting around the Village.
There are still two vacancies for the North Ward (Charlton Down) of the Parish Council. Delays in interviewing and appointing applicants partly due to the lack of a Parish Clerk.
In the Best Kept Village Competition, Charlton Down finally yielded a score total of 90.8% points and won a total of £225 in awards which is given to the Parish Council and will be spent on enhancements to this Village. Plaques have been presented which will be displayed in the Charlton Down Village Hall. For results click here
Nature Reserve: Last week all the grass was mown – a bridge has now been placed over the pond, the gates to the Reserve have been re-sited by members of the PC, thus saving a considerable sum from that quoted by contractors.
Talks are taking place with Rachel Huggett, a local sculptor, who was originally appointed with regard to the children's designs for the table and seats. It is proposed that a day be set aside in Charlton Down Village Hall for children to attend a master class with the sculptor.
CHARLTON DOWN TABLE TENNIS CLUB
The club is
going from strength to strength with a second table in play from late May.
Singles and doubles are played from 7.30 until 9.00pm and with an average of
12 people attending there is plenty of action for all. All standards of play
are demonstrated so there is plenty for all.
Every Tuesday evening, 7.30 - 9.00 in the Ballroom, Herrison Hall.
If you would like more information regarding hours of play and membership, please contact either Kenneth Addison - 01305 250808 or Arthur Lewis - 01305 262212
Charlton Down Community
Orchard- tie a ribbon round your tree
Now the orchard is maturing it is important not to waste the lovely fruit
that is produced each year. All the trees were planted by children in the
village and many still visit and tend their trees. However, some families
have moved away from the area. Can we ask that if children would like to
pick and keep their own fruit from the tree they planted that a ribbon is
tied to their tree. Then in the harvesting season people can help
themselves to apples/pears and plums off trees not marked with ribbons.
There are over 50 varieties of apples in the orchard - so it is a great
opportunity to see what they taste like. So do head down to the orchard
and
mark your tree if you don't want someone else to eat that precious apple
you have been waiting weeks to ripen.
Mark Simons
Charminster Parish Council