Millennium Mug
The Millennium Mug is available from the Village Post Office.
The design is explained in detail below
Burton Bradstock 2000
On the main side
of the mug can be seen the modern name for our village BURTON
BRADSTOCK
pierced
with the 2000 This was agreed as our Logo for the new millennium.
Bridetone Bradenstoke
Above and to the
left is the word Bridetone
“the
farm on the River Bride” was one of the earliest names given
to the village and recorded in The Doomsday Book. The book shows that the
village belonged to the King. Renamed Brideton or Briditon from 11th –
12th century, it became shortened to Brutton in the 14th & 15th
Century and by 1535 it became Burton The Church was given by
William I. to his chaplain Guntard who took the ownership with him to the
French Abbey of St. Wandrille. In 1286 the Abbey of St. Wandrille gave
Briditone (as it was then called) to the Prior and Convent of Bradenstoke,
hence the name Bradstock.
This gentle place
‘This gentle
place’ was
taken from the title of a book of poems by Douglas Northover and
whose widow Georgie Northover gave permission to use it. A wonderful book
of poems about the Bride Valley and Burton in particular.
The millennium is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, 2000 years
ago and whilst the three symbols of the fish, sheep and shell represent
the three ‘F’s, Fishing Farming and Faith they are also
symbols of the Christian community. The word sheep is mentioned in the
Bible at least 204 times and the word lamb 103 times, Ram 101 times and
Ewe 6 times. (try counting them)! Jesus is described as the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.
Farming
In the farming
context of our village the Dorset Horn sheep denoted on the mug is known
by archaeologists as the United Kingdom South-west horn and these were
widespread in Roman Britain (43AD-400AD) The Dorset Horn came about by
crossing the Somerset Horn with the Dorset Horned sheep. In 1956 Mr. J. M.
(Bunny) Lenthall of Manor Farm, Burton Bradstock went to Tasmania and
found a strain there that resembled the Dorset Horn without horns and
he brought back a stud ram and a young ram lamb, the first Poll Dorsets in
England.
Fishing
Fishing.
Elizabeth Gale in her book ‘Farmers, Fishermen and Flax spinners’
writes that “ every man in Burton was born with salt in his veins and
he either became a full time fisherman or combined fishing with his usual
occupation”. Only a few years ago and no doubt throughout the last
2000 years villagers were summoned to the beach to help haul in the seine
nets. The harvest of the sea played an important part of Burton Bradstock’s
economy, as well as food for the locals, the surplus herrings and sprats
were salted and the mackerel soused and stored for the winter months. The
fish is also a Christian symbol and can often be seen on the back of cars
denoting that the occupants are Christians Look at the Church Tower and
you will see a fish wind vane.
Faith
Faith. The boat, within the shell, has its mast in the form of a cross which reminds us that over the past 2000 years followers of Christ have ventured the world bringing the Gospel of Christ to everyone. During the European Middle Ages the shell design of the pilgrim’s scallop (Pecten jacobaeus) became a religious emblem (the badge of St. James) We are lucky to be living in this wonderful environment and the boat and the shell reminds us of the closeness of the sea.
Ray West