sold shortly afterwards to the Earl of Ilchester whose heir still holds the title, but no land. Oakhayes was built in two phases at the beginning and end of the 18th century. It was such a rich living that the rector at the time even boasted his own pack of hounds and the kennels can still be seen. An engraving of the house dated 1799 was published in the History of Dorset by John Hutchins. Demography In the 2011 census the parish had 581 dwellings, 486 households and a population of 1,059. Transport The village is about half a mile (800 metres) from the A35 Folkestone-Honiton trunk road. It has no bus service but the No. X51 (formerly X31) Dorchester to Axminster bus and the X53 Poole to Exeter bus stop on West Road for Symondsbury at Sprakes Corner, half a mile (800 metres) away. The village is about from the town of Bridport. Symondsbury has several footpaths into the surrounding area. References External links Symondsbury Parish Symondsbury Manor Symondsbury Estate The School The Symondsbury Apple Project Treewise Environmental Learning Villages in Dorset