The village of Fontmell Magna is situated on the eastern edge of the Blackmore Vale about 4½ miles south of the town of Shaftesbury..
At the last census in 2011 the population of the civil parish was around 740; the parish includes the hamlet of Bedchester and part of Hartgrove.
The history of the community goes back over 1000 years. In the Domesday Book three water mills are recorded in the village. Until recently farming provided the livelihood of most of the population but the improvement of roads and the increase in car ownership has allowed a majority of people to find work outside of the village.
The village is much admired and has twice, in recent times, received the “Best Kept Village in Dorset” award.