The village is sited on greensand in a valley surrounded by the chalk hills of the Dorset Downs.

[6] Rampisham's parish church, dedicated to St Michael and All Saints, has a medieval south tower which was built in phases in the early 14th (1326) and 15th centuries.

[8] The second restoration involved an extension to the tower and a rebuilding of the nave; this was undertaken by John Hicks, possibly with assistance from a young Thomas Hardy.

[4] Rampisham village is sited on greensand at an altitude of 125 to 145 metres (410 to 476 ft) in a tributary valley of the River Frome.

[11] In November 1939 the BBC acquired 189 acres (76 ha) of land on Rampisham Down, a hill southwest of the village.