remain, and even here there is little evidence except for small disturbances in the grass surface which can be felt underfoot. Government The parish council has involvement in the maintenance of parish facilities and local issues such as planning applications and conservation. It works with the local police, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. Dorset Council is responsible for most of the local government services such as planning decisions and building control, local roads, council housing, markets and fairs, environmental health, refuse collection and recycling, education, social services, public transport, police and fire services, Trading Standards, waste disposal and strategic planning. Leigh is in the West Dorset parliamentary constituency and is currently represented in the House of Commons by Chris Loder, who succeeded Oliver Letwin in 2019. Along with other villages it falls within the Cam Vale Electoral Ward. Geography Leigh is situated in the Blackmore Vale, and measured directly, the village is south-southwest of Sherborne, southeast of Yeovil and north-northwest of Dorchester. The surrounding landscape is gently undulating and predominantly agricultural. The underlying geology is Oxford clay which here produces good quality pasture; the village was once known for producing cheese and cider, with at one time every farm possessing an orchard. One mile to the west of the village is the small Wriggle River, which drains into the River Yeo. Approximately to the south are the chalk hills of the Dorset Downs. The nearest railway stations are on the Heart of Wessex Line at Chetnole, to the west-southwest, and Yetminster, to the northwest. The nearest main roads are the A37, to the west, and the A352, to the east. Demography In the 2011 census the parish had 225 dwellings, 209 households and a population of 480. The population of the parish in the censuses between 1921 and 2011 is shown in the table below: In 1861 the parish population was 465. Notes External links Villages in Dorset