The South Tarrant Valley Parish is made up of the four parishes of Crawford, Keynston, Rushton and Rawston. It lies within the river valley of the Tarrant and is in the South West corner of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the boundary of which is the River Stour into which the Tarrant flows. The combined parish covers 1898 hectares. The underlying soil is chalk and the major land use is farming, both arable and animal husbandry. This is largely divided into five separate holdings. There are 209 dwellings in the parish with a population of 520. The Tarrant Valley is a popular location, within commuting distance of Bournemouth, and consequently house prices are high. Local employment opportunities are largely in farming, but a significant number work from home. The parish has one North/South road, the B3082 linking Blandford (3 miles)and Wimborne (6 miles) the two main towns to which parishioners turn for services. There is also the rural valley road following the river and linking the four parishes and the North end of the Tarrant Valley. Public transport is scarce although community transport schemes are developing. Residents rely largely on their own transport to access services. A school bus takes primary school children to Spetisbury, and secondary school children to Blandford. The parish has one pub, a small shop serving Rushton, and a village hall with large open play area at Keynston. There are two active churches, a redundant church and a private church within the parish, which is part of the Chase Benefice. There is a lively community spirit in the Parish and a number of thriving community groups, including a busy Artsreach programme. Tarrant Crawford - Tarrant Keyneston - Tarrant Rushton - Tarrant Rawston South Parish Website www.southtarrants.co.uk Website Designed By Jacques Steventon