West Moors

Church of St Mary the Virgin, West Moors
  © Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

West Moors is a village in Dorset on the northern fringe of the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, just outside the larger settlements of Ferndown and Verwood. The parish of West Moors had an estimated population of 7,400 in 2004.

West Moors was known as La More in the 14th century, Mours in the 15th century and Le Moure in the 16th century and has a wealth of history associated with it. During these centuries West Moors was a sparsely populated heathland hamlet at the northern end of the ancient parish of West Parley (recorded in the Doomsday book as Perlai). West Moors Town (formerly Parish) Council was created in 1956.

West Moors rose to local prominence with the building of the Southampton and Dorchester and Salisbury and Dorset Junction railway lines in the late 19th century and although main line services were later diverted via Bournemouth, West Moors railway station was served by a branch line railway until 1964. The village expanded with the development of the military fuel depot located outside the village but within the West Moors civil parish.

The Parish Church in West Moors was constructed in 1896 and was dedicated to St Mary the Virgin in 1897 (above). In 1922 West Moors finally became a parish in it's own right, A Chapel of Ease was created in 1925 on some land along Pinehurst Road. A disused wooden chapel building in the neighbouring parish of Holt was bought, dismantled and re-assembled. The church (known as St John's, right) was rededicated in 1925 and was known locally as the Gypsy Church (closed and demolished in 1999).

Church of St John, West Moors
  © Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The Online Parish Clerk (OPC) for West Moors is Phil Warn

You may contact me by e-mail if you have further queries.
Please Note: I am an unpaid volunteer willing to assist others with their genealogical
research and should in no way be confused with the County or Church appointed
Parish Clerk. I live in the vicinity of the Parish