Ansty, Dorset: a village of brewing history in the Dorset Downs

Ansty is a village in Dorset, now within the civil parish of Hilton, north of Cheselbourne and west of Milton Abbas. The settlement includes Higher Ansty, Lower Ansty, Pleck and Ansty Cross. It became locally notable for brewing: Hall & Woodhouse founded a brewery here in 1777, and brewing continued until the 1940s. The village retains a strong vernacular character, with old cottages and former brewery buildings still shaping its appearance.
Population: included within Hilton parish, which had 477 inhabitants in 2011.
Distance: about 8 miles south-west of Blandford Forum.
Traditions and culture: Ansty's local culture is tied to the old brewery, village hall life and the landscape of the Dorset Downs.
Highlights: the old brewery buildings, Malthouse Cottages, the surrounding downland scenery and the cluster of settlements that make up Ansty.