St Mary, has a nave, north aisle and north transept dating from the mid-12th century, though it is probable there was a minster and clergy community here before that, as indicated by the village's name and its large size in the Domesday Book. Iwerne Minster House was built in 1796 by the Bowyer Bower family (who had owned the village and estate of Iwerne Minster since at least 1645), on the site of their original manor. Their family crest, the Talbot, is still represented in the name of the village pub. Iwerne Minster remained in the Bowyer Bower family until 1876, when they sold the estate to George Glyn, 2nd Baron Wolverton. Wolverton had a new house built, designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1878. A ornamental park, including a lake, was also created. James Hainsworth Ismay, second son of Thomas Henry Ismay, bought the estate in 1908; he had a village hall, pump and shelter built, designed clothes for the village children and gave the village shops hand-painted signs, all resulting in the village having a 'model' appearance. The estate was sold in 1929 and the mansion became Clayesmore School. There are 44 structures in the parish that are listed by Historic England for having particular historical or architectural interest. These include the parish church of St Mary (Grade I) and The Chantry (Grade II*). The village noticeboard was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott. Geography Iwerne Minster civil parish covers an area of at an elevation of about . From east to west the geology of the parish comprises chalk hills in the east, then upper greensand and gault, through to lower greensand around the Fontmell Brook in the northwest. About half of the parish and most of Iwerne Minster village—the area east of the A350—is in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Measured directly, Iwerne Minster village is about north of Blandford Forum and south of Shaftesbury. Governance Iwerne Minster is in the northern part of the electoral ward called the Beacon Ward, which extends to includes Sutton Waldron, Fontmell Magna, Ashmore, Melburry Abbas & Cann, Twyford, Hartgrove, Compton Abbas, Todber, Stour Row, Stour Provost, East Orchard Shroton. The ward falls within the North Dorset parliamentary constituency and in the 2011 Census had a population of 4,818. Demography In the 2011 Census the civil parish had 326 dwellings, 298 households