Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• 'Blakemore. A hermitage in the forest' 1300 Ipm

• 'the hermitage of Blakemor' 1309 Pat 1325 Misc

• 'the church of the hermitage in Blakemore' 1325 Pat

• (Prior) Hermitagii de Blakemore 1329 Orig

• the hermitage of Blakemore Regis 1329 Pat

• 'the Hermitage of Hertleye' 1336 Ct

• (the prior of) the Church of St Laurence, in Blakemore' 1318 Hutch3

• le Heremytage 1334 For

• Hermitage 1381 Ct 1392 Weld1

• the Hermitage, Hermitage als Ermitage 1650 ParlSurv

• Ermytage 1389 Weld1 1461 Rent 1535 VE 1547 Ct

• Ermitage 1390 Weld1 1549 Ct

• Hermytage 1392 Weld1

• 'the king's free chapel called le Hermytage' 1513 Ch 1544 PlR

• 'the farme of Hermytage' 1646 SC

• Ermetage 1422 Ct 1463 Weld1

• Hermetage 1422 Ct

• Heremitage 1615 DuCo 1617 Add

• 'the house or chapel called le priory hermitage by Dorcestre' 1466,1468,1470 Pat

• the free chapel called the Hermytage alias the priory of the Hermytage, in Blakemore' 1486 ib

• Priory nigh Dorcester 1664 HTax

• 'the free chapel of St Mary called le Hermitage' 1469 Pat

• Armitage 1540,1575 Hutch3

• Armytage 1575 PlR

• Harmitage 1650 ParlSurv

Etymology

Named from the hermitage, a house of the friars hermits of St Augustine, founded here in Blackmoor Forest (3274–5) in the 13th cent, (v. Hutch3 4466–8, VCHDo 296), from ME  (h)ermitage, cf. the lost Rocombe infra and Hartley Fm in the neighbouring par. of Minterne Magna infra . Hutch3 loc. cit. points out that 'the convent seem to have forsaken their habitation here about 1460, for after that time it is spoken of as a free chapel', and also that (as the forms above show) 'it was dedicated first to St Laurence, then to the Blessed Virgin Mary'. The name Priorslawn Dairy in Winfrith N. par. 1 179 is an allusion to land once owned by the priory of Hermitage. The bounds of the parish of Hermitage are given in 1615DuCo .