Bndford Forum DT11

Blandford has been a fording point since Anglo-Saxon times, when it was recorded as Blaen-y-ford and as Blaneford in the Domesday Book, meaning ford of the river of blay or gudgeon. By the 13th century it had become an important market town, with a livestock market serving the nearby Blackmore Vale with its many Dairy farms.

Blandford Forum is often given as an example of a Georgian town, as the entire centre was rebuilt in the 1700s, due to a fire, and is hence uniformly Georgian. Some of the older properties still have scorch marks on their timbers resulting from the fire. 

Some 2km northeast of the town lies Blandford Camp, which has long been home to the Royal Corps of Signals, the communications wing of the British Army. The base incorporates a modern technology training college plus a cinema for military personnel, and the National Signals Museum. In the First World War the Naval Division were stationed at the camp prior to  forming a part of the invasion force at Galipoli. In the second world war  many of the airborne troops that took part in the ill fated  battle of Arnhem took off from near-by  Tarrant Rushton airfield. The future of the camp has been discussed for a number of years,  a number of local people are employed at there. The Ministry of Defence  have assured the camps future, although a recent contract has been won by  another military base in Wales rather than Blandford and may have some impact on local jobs.

Population

Approx. 9000. 

Average 2 bed property is  £173,657

Annual growth over the last 5 years at 13.1%

Facilities.
A range of local shops with national shops on the edge of town. Doctors surgeries, cottage hospital, fire station, sheltered housing, schools for all ages, private schools, industrial sites, restaurants, limited accommodation.

Our View 

The nearby Army Camp has had a question mark over its head. The town has enjoyed an influx of buyers displaced from the more expensive Poole and Bournemouth. The nearby private schools provide revenue and employment in the town with the outlying villages seeing an increase in week-end and holiday homes.

Parking off road a problem in some areas of the town.

New development planned at the site of the brewery at Blandford St. Mary.

The By-pass has made a huge difference to the town traffic problem, however the quirky one way traffic flow does provide bottlenecks at times.

A pleasant former market town which has enjoyed the over-spill from the more costly areas to the east. Care should be exercised as to where to buy!