Ashington, Dorset

Ashington is a hamlet in Dorset, England. It lies within the unitary authority of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, between the villages of Corfe Mullen and Wimborne Minster.

Named by the Saxons, 'Ashington,' comes from the words aesc - ash, and tun - homestead or village. The timber of ash was commonly used by the Saxons for construction, as well as for tools and weapons in the same ways metal was more widely used by later generations. The leaves of ash trees also provided fodder for cattle and horses, and the tree was thought to have medicinal qualities, slitting an ash trunk was looked upon an answer to hernia in infants and a touch of an ash leaf was thought to cure cramp.

Despite being in close proximity to urban areas, Ashington is situated within the Green Belt and contains parts of the Corfe Barrows Nature Park.