Itinerary #5 - Dorchester & Around

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Dorchester (popn. 2011, plain. Like many other towns, it 19,060) is the county town of suffered several devastating fires. Dorchester & Dorset. Though far from being its Those of 1613 and 1725 destroyed Around largest settlement, it makes up for most of the town. It was only in this with a long history and a wide the 19th century that Dorchester 1. Dorchester 162 range of places to visit and things expanded outside the ancient town County Museum 164 to do. From Jurassic fossils to the walls to the south and east. Today Town Walks 164 famous author, Thomas Hardy, a ring road keeps through traffic Old Courthouse 164 Dorcester will repay a visit. out of the town. To the west the Bloody Assizes 165 “urban village” of Poundbury is St Peter’s Church 164 Around 4,000BC, Neolithic continuously expanding. Keep Military Museum 165 people built huge circular henges at Roman Townhouse 163 the Maumbury Rings and Mount Dorchester offers shopping, eating Hangman’s Cottage 166 Pleasant. They also built the out, accommodation and other Dinosaur Museum 167 first enclosure at Maiden Castle. services greater than might be Tutankhamen Exhib 167 During the Iron Age this was de- expected for a small town. There Terracotta Warriors 167 veloped into a massive hillfort. are the usual chain stores, but Teddy Bear Museum 167 also many independent specialist Napper’s Mite 168 The Romans called the town shops. With eight museums in the 2. Maumbury Rings 162 Durnovaria, probably an adapta- town and numerous attractions 3. Max Gate 170 tion of its local name. The High roundabout there is plenty to see 4. Hardy’s Cottage 171 Street follows the original Roman and do regardless of the season. Stinsford 170 road from Old Sarum to Exeter. 5. Kingston Maurward 174 Much remains to be seen from Thomas Hardy spent most of his 6. Thorncombe Wood 174 these times, including a town life in or near “Casterbridge” as he Puddletown Forest 174 house, an impressive aqueduct and called the town in his novels. His 7. Poundbury 169 parts of the town walls. The mu- birthplace at Higher Bockhampton 8. Roman Aqueduct 162 seum houses large mosaics as well and his residence from 1885, Max 9. Maiden Castle 172 as many artefacts; artistic, domes- Gate, are both National Trust 10. Whitcombe Church 175 tic and military. properties. A star attraction in 11. Cider Museum 175 the Dorset County Museum is 12. Tolpuddle Martyrs 176 Development of Dorchester to the Hardy’s study, complete with his 13. Athelhampton House 174 north has always been constrained desk, books and pens. by the River Frome and its flood

Dorset Guide Book 1st edition by Charles Tait 338 What to Do and See - Dorset

ORDNANCE SURVEY 1:50,000 & 1:25,000 maps OS Landranger Map 194 - Dorchester & Weymouth OS Explorer Map OL15 - Purbeck & South Dorset

Dorchester & Around 1. Dorchester (page 162) is a compact town, best henge monument. Later, the Romans used it as an explored on foot. There are plenty of convenient car amphitheatre, while it was turned into a gun battery parks as well as two train stations. during the Civil War. Finally it became the site of The Town Walks (page 164) follow the line of the public executions, either by hanging or burning. Roman walls. They enclose many of the sites of in- 3. Max Gate (page 170) is just off the junction of terest mentioned here. the A35 with the A352, east of the town. Hardy Dorset County Museum (page 164) is perhaps the lived here from 1885 until his death in 1928. best place to start a visit to the town. It has major 4. Hardy’s Cottage, Higher Bockhampton (page displays on Jurassic Coast fossils, archaeology, Dor- 171), is the birthplace of Hardy. The cottage and chester, rural life and, of course, Thomas Hardy. its lovely garden are owned by the National Trust. The Old Crown Court and Cells (page 164) are Stinsford Churchyard (page 170) is off the A35, preserved in Stratton House, High West Street. It east of the town. Hardy’s heart and both of his was here that the Tolpuddle Martyrs were tried and wives are buried here. sentenced in 1834 (page 176). 5. Kingston Maurward House (page 174) near The Bloody Assizes (page 165) were held in the Stinsford, has fine formal gardens and an animal park. Antelope Hotel in 1685 after the failed Monmouth 6. Thorncombe Wood (page 174) has a well-pre- Rebellion. The building is now a restaurant. served section of Roman road. This starts near the St Peter’s Church (page 164), down the street from carpark, which also give access to Hardy’s Cottage the Museum, is one of very few medieval buildings Puddletown Forest (page 174), further east, has a in the town; it dates from the 15th century. further long section which can be explored. The Keep Military Museum (page 165) is housed 7. Poundbury (page 169) is on the west side of Dor- in a prominent Victorian mock keep near the Top of chester. This new urban village is very much the cre- the Town roundabout. It covers the history of the ation of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales. Devon and Dorset Regiment from 1685. 8. A Roman Aqueduct (page 162) once ran from The Roman Townhouse (page 163) is behind near the Top of the Town roundabout for 12mi County Hall, near the Top of the Town round- (19km) above the River Frome. Its course can be about. It is the only such house in the UK. followed from Poundbury hillfort along the side Hangman’s Cottage (page 166) is below Colliton road that follows the Roman road to the northwest. Park beside the Millstream. In former times its ten- 9. Maiden Castle (page 172), about 2mi (3km) from ant was kept busy by the nearby courts. the town centre, is the largest and most spectacular Small Museums (page 167) There are four small of Dorset’s Iron Age hillforts. Not to be missed, it museums to the south of the High Street. is accessed by a side road off the Weymouth Road. The Dinosaur Museum is a superb hands-on ex- 10. Whitcombe Church (page 175) on the A352 to perience which is great for children. Wareham, was for many years the charge of William The Tutankhamen Exhibition has a replica of the Barnes, the great poet, philologist and minister. pharoah’s tomb as found in 1922 as well as authentic 11. The Mill House Cider Museum (page 175), reconstructions of many artefacts found there. between Moreton and Owermoigne, has displays The Terracotta Warriors Museum has replicas of of old cider-making equipment and a plant nursery. the famous Chinese clay army. 12. Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum (page 176), off The Teddy Bear Museum is upstairs and features the A35, tells the story of the farmworkers sen- bears of all types including famous ones such as tenced to transportation to Australia, but ultimately Paddington Bear and Rupert Bear. pardoned in an early success for workers’ rights. Napper’s Mite Almshouse (page 168) in South 13. Athelhampton House & Gardens (page 174) Street was built in 1616 and is now a restaurant. is considered to be one of the best manor houses in 2. Maumbury Rings (page 162), near Dorches- the country. It is off the A35 east of Puddletown. It ter South Train Station was originally a Neolithic is open all year, but only on Sundays in winter.

339 Dorset Guide Book 1st edition by Charles Tait