Blandford Forum

Blandford Forum, ordinarily Blandford, is a market town in the North Dorset area of Dorset, England, sited by the River Stour around 13 mi 21 km northwest of Poole. It is the regulatory central station of North Dorset District Council. Blandford is striking for its Georgian engineering, the aftereffect of reconstructing after most of the town was devastated by a fire in 1731. The modifying work was helped by an Act of Parliament and a gift by George II, and the modified town focus—to plans by nearby designers John and William Bastard—has made due to the present day generally unblemished.

Blandford Camp, an army installation, is sited on the slopes two miles toward the north east of the town. It is the base of the Royal Corps of Signals, the correspondences wing of the British Army, and the site of the Royal Signals Museum. Dorset County Council evaluates that in 2013 the town's polite ward had a populace of 10,610.

The town's economy depends on a blend of the administration segment and light industry, and gives work to around 4,000 individuals. Blandford has been a fording point since Anglo-Saxon occasions, when it was recorded as Blaen-y-portage and as Blaneford in the Domesday Book. The name Blandford gets from the Old English blaege, and most likely means portage where gudgeon or blay are found.