Hooke, Dorset

Hooke is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England, situated about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the town of Bridport.

[1] The name comes from the Old English Hoc meaning the hook or angle and referring to the land in a river bend.

The spelling has changed over the years, the Doomsday Book recorded it as Lahoc and later variants include Hok (1229), La Hoke (1244) and Houc (1268).

[2] Rampisham Down, the hill immediately northeast of the village, is the site of a transmitter station operated by VT Communications, broadcasting long-range radio signals for clients including BBC World Service.

[3] To the southwest of the village are Warren Hill and the woods of Hooke Park on its western flanks.