The sister publication, the Stour and Avon magazine, closed down in December 2018.

A spokesperson from Blackmore Vale Magazine said, “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have been a much-loved part of life in the Blackmore Vale and beyond for more than 40 years and we will miss you all.

“We would like to thank all the readers and advertisers who have supported us, from our very humble beginnings as one folded sheet of paper, through to those glory days, when we were busting the staples with 200 plus pages.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the team at Blackmore Ltd who have printed us through thick and thin and our distribution team, headed up by Lorraine Drake, who have always delivered, no matter what.

“The BVM, regardless of ownership, has always, at heart, been a family affair. Our colleagues past and present are very sad to see it end.”

Alan and Ingrid Chalcraft bought a struggling local magazine called Stalbridge News in 1978, and it became the Blackmore Vale Magazine. They moved to an office in Stalbridge High Street the following year.

A Facebook post announcing the closure has been reached by more than 88,000 people.