Verwood 1985 BBC Domesday Project. - Hillside School.

04. Communications in Verwood.
Post Office.
Savings Bank.
Mail.
Telephone Exchange.

The POST OFFICE is open on four days a week from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and on two days from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Seven people serve behind the counters. They sell stamps. TV and Dog licences, car tax postal orders etc. and run the PO SAVINGS BANK. 

There are 10 postmen and women, 8 deliver on bicycles and 2 in vans, delivering heavy and large parcels. Postmen in vans empty the village post boxes four times a day. The mail is taken to Wimborne and then to Bournemouth, where it is sorted. It is then sent either to other large sorting offices including London, or if it is addressed to Verwood, it is sent back via Wimborne. There is a SORTING OFFICE IN VERWOOD. Each person receives on average five letters per person, per week. 666 people go into the Post Office daily. 

The TELEPHONE EXCHANGE is in Vicarage Road.

05. Education in Verwood.
Play groups.
First Schools.
Middle Schools.
Upper Schools.

There are three PLAY GROUPS in Verwood. two are run privately and one is run by a committee. They help children to get on with each other, and the mother's to make friends. There are usually two supervisors and several mothers in charge of about twenty children. The children do jigsaws, use Play Dough or pastry, paint, use sand and water, climb, learn to hold pencils and to use scissors. The cost for each child per morning is approx £1. 

There are two FIRST SCHOOLS for children aged 5 to 9 years. One is Hillside with 330 children on the roll and ten teachers, the other is the C. of E. with 90 children on the roll and four teachers. 

Children from 9 to 13 years travel to Cranborne or Ferndown MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

 The l4 to 18 year olds travel to Ferndown or Wimborne UPPER SCHOOLS.

06. Religion in Verwood.
Anglican Church.
Methodist Church .
Congregational/U.R.C.
Chapel & Roman Catholics.

The original part of the ANGLICAN CHURCH, St. Michael and all Angels was built in 1829. The building holds 300 people. There is a Deaconess and a Curate who help the Vicar. The first graveyard is near this church, and was also used by non-conformists. 

The METHODIST CHURCH was built in 1909 with bricks made in Verwood, the minister cares for several churches in the area. 

The first CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH (now the U.R.C.) was built in 1802, a second building replaced it in 1878 and was also used as a school, so the need arose for a third building which was opened in 1906. The minister is shared with neighbouring villages, with deacons assisting. 

The BETHEL CHAPEL was opened in 1931 after years of worshipping in a hut at Hayward’s Farm. ROMAN CATHOLICS worship in Ringwood and West Moors.