BEAMINSTER is a town with considerable history.
From rolling hills and a thriving agricultural economy to a town square that has, for centuries, been the centre of town life, the west Dorset town maintains its vibrancy.
Click into our photo gallery above and scroll through to see life in the town as it once was
Beaminster is the product of the Anglo-Saxon age, dating back to around the 7th century, when it was known as Bebingmynster, meaning the church of Bebbe although the date of origin of the town is unknown.
The place name and historic evidence indicates that it was probably the site of a primary Saxon minster church and was at the centre of a large episcopal estate.
Linen and woollens were once manufactured in Beaminster, the raw materials for which were produced in the surrounding countryside.
The town experienced three serious fires in the 17th and 18th centuries; the first of these, during the English Civil War, almost destroyed the fabric of the town.
Today the centre of Beaminster looks much as it did over a hundred years ago.
These wonderful old pictures of Beaminster were taken by west Dorset photographer Claud Hider, who captured life in west Dorset villages and towns.
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