Hampreston, despite its proximity to the Bournemouth conurbation is still essentially a rural community beside the River Stour.

The village was first recorded as Hame in the Domesday book of 1086 and subsequently Hamme 1204, Hamme Preston 1244 and Hamepreston 1299. The name is derived from the Old English hamm, 'the enclosure or river meadow' and the later addition of Preston, 'priest farm' from the Old English preost and tun, probaly because the land here beloged to the College of Wimborne Minster.

The parish church of All Saints dates from the 14th century although the north side was rebuilt in the 1890's