Poxwell (pronounced /ˈpoʊkswəl/, and sometimes seen written Pokeswell), is a hamlet and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is located within the West Dorset administrative district, about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Weymouth. The current population of the parish is around 50. The name originates from the ‘Pokes well’ – a well dating from the period when occupied by the Romans in the 1st century which is located on a hillside in the village. In 1989, English Heritage excavated a site nearby to this and found ruins of a settlement dating to around the same period, in which various artefacts were found.