[DORSET.] 748 [POST OFFICE • • Weymouth, Swanafle, Lyme Regis and Parkstone

• [DORSET.] 748 [POST OFFICE • • Weymouth, Swanafle, Lyme Regis and Parkstone. The the see of a bishop from 705 to 1075. There are still some havens are Poole, Wareham, Swanage, Weymouth, Bridport, Roman Catholic nunneries and chapels, well endowed by the Lyme and Studland Bay; but Lyme has much fallen off. A wealthy members of that communion. breakwater has been made in Portland Bay, 80 as to form a Dorsetshire seems to have been taken from the Britons by great harbour of refuge over against Cherbourg; it is one the Eelgian Durotrig:es, likewise called Morini, which words mile and three quarters long: the works were executed by are said to mean "dwellers by the sea!' Of the Britons a large convict establishment. and Belgians there seem to be many remains,-as Aggle­ The railways are tIle Southampton and Dorchester, belong­ stone and PuckRtone, near Studland, in the Isle of Purbeck; ing to the South Western Company; the Somerset and Portisham Cromlech, called HaIlstone, a circle of stones Dorset from Burnham, Somerset, to WimborJle and Poole, near Winterborne St. Martin; another near Poxwell, and passing through Stalbridge, Stllrminster Newton and Bland­ another at Lit.tle Breedy; perhaps Badbury Rings and. ford. The London and South Western Extension to Exeter Maumbury belong to this period. and North Devon havestationsatGillinlZ'ham and Sherborne, Under the Romans it was a part of Britannia Prima,. and skirts the north of the county. The Dorchester line and they had many settlements, 8S Durnovaria (Dor. enters from Ringwood, in Hampshire, and passes Wimborne chester), Morinio (Wareham), Vindio Gladia (Wimborne),. (with a branch to Poole and Bournemouth), Wareham, Canca. Arista (Charmouth), Londinis (Lyme negis), Bol­ Wool, and Moreton to Dorchester, thence to Weymouth clanio (Poole), and Clavinio (Weymouth). Other settle­ and Portland. The Great Western Company have a branch ments were Alrester, Stoborougb, Charborough, Che!­ to Dorchester and Weymouth, connected with their line at borougb, Gainsborough, Bedcister, Horchester, Hogchester~ Yeovil, and from thence to Bristol; also another branch A great road, named by the Enl'!:lish the Ikening or" from Maiden Newton to Bridport. Ikenield way (Via Iceniana), comes in by Woodyates, passes through Durnovaria., and goes to the west. At Weymouth is the largest town, with 13,259 people; the amphitheatre~ otllers are-Dorchester, with 6,915; Poole, with 10,097; Durnovaria, the most famous remain Js the Bridport, with 7,670; Lyme Regis, with 2,333; Ware-. The part of Ikening way, near Dorchester, called A"kling ham, with 3,067; BIandford, with 1,536; Shaftesbury, Dike, is in fair preservation. with 2,472; Sherborne, Sturminster, Corfe Castle, Cerne On the downs and cliffs are many camps and harrows, Abbas, Wimborne Minster, Beaminster, Slalbridge, GiI­ British, Belgian, Roman or English; among thelle are· lingham, Swanage, Cranborne, Bere Regis. Weymouth, Badbnry and Maumbllry, those on the Stour between Stur­ Dorchester, Poole, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, and Blandford minster and Bradford, Weatherbury, Eggardon, 'Loose. are well-built towns; Sherborne, and Wimborne ha'"e fine barro~, Rowbarrow, Shaftesbury, Melbury, Hazelbury, collegiate churches. The shire town is Dorchester. Three Spettisbury, Chalhury, Abbotsbul'y, :N etherbury, 8ymonds­ members of Parliament are returned for Dorsetshire, one bury, Hamilton Hill, Worbarrow, Woolbarrow, Chllrcb­ for Dorehester, two for Weymouth, one for Poole, one each barrow Flowersbarrow, Wardstonebarrow, Blackbarrow,. for Shaftesbury, Wareham, and Bridport, which are 'all Woodbury, Boltonbarrow, Banbury, Westbury, Figbury,. boroughs. Dorchester and Poole formerly returned two Lushbarrow, Conqnerbarrow, Lawrencebarrow, Cbureh­ members each, but the "Representation of the People harrows, Seabarrow, Poundbury, Knapbarrow, Bullbarrow,. Act, ]867," reduced the number to one. Lyme Regis Dodsbury, Broadfordbarrow, Barrow Rill, Henbury, Straw­ was disfranchised by the "Representation of the People barrow, Kingbarrow, BalIbarrow, Greatbarrow, Egerton­ (Scotland) Act, 1868." The shire is in the western circuit. barrow, Bool"sbarrow, Longbarrow, Siablebarrow, Pow­ The town of Poole is a county ofitS('If. Quarter sessions are barrow, Bridwellbarrow, Mawerbury, Buzbury, Eastbury held at Dorchester and Poole. Dorsetshire forms nine petty and W68tbury, nearTarrant Gunville, Thorncombe, Bealon, sessional division&-Blandford (North and South} Bridport, Mowlamsbarrow, Tadnollbarrow, Lordsbarrow, Endbarrow,. Cerne,Dorchester, Shaftesbury, Shet'borne, and Sturminster. Youbarrow, Cernebarrow, Stonebarrow, Swyrsebarrow,. The Poor-law Unions are twelve-Beaminster, Elandford, Cholbury, Hakebury, Swan Knoll, Round Pound, Five Eridport, Cerne, Dorchester, Poole, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Meersbarrow, and Mawerbury. Many tesselated pavements,. Sturminster, Wareham, and Purbeck, Weymouth, and Wim­ also pottery and Ro~n coins, have been found. The whole­ borne. number of Rom..n camps has been reckoned at 25. There are 33 Hundreds and 21 Liberties, besides the county After the fall of the Romans and Britons this shire be­ of Poole. Tbe Hundreds are-Beaminster, in the west; came part of the kingdom of the West Saxons, and the see Beaminster Forum and Redhorne,Bere Re~is, in the south of a bishop; the kings dwelt here at Corfe Castle and midland; Bradbury, in the east; BrownshaIl, Buckland Kingston, and in the minsters many of them are buried. Newton, in the west midland; Cerne Totcombe and Mod­ On the shore near Wareham, Portland, and Charmouth, bury, in the west midland; Cogdean, in the south-east; many fights took place with the Danish rovers. In the Cooms-Ditch, in the east midland; Cranborne, in thenorth­ Parliamentary War the gentry took part with the king, and east; Culliford Tree. in the midland; Egg'erton, in the held out in many sieges and fights, in which their castles south-west; Godderthorne, in the west; Hasilor, in the were ruined; the townsmen sided with the Parliament; but south-east; Hundreds Barrow, in the south midland; the country people held alooffrom both King-and Parliament, KnowIton, in the north-east; Loosebarrow, in the south­ and formed companies of "clubmen" to keep them off. east; Monkton-uJ)-Wimborne, in the north-east; Piddle­ Tbe objects of interest are many ~ the fOssils of the Isles town, in the midland; Pimperne, in the east midland; of Purbeck and Portland and of Lyrne Regis: the sbore Redlane, in the north; Rowbarrow, in the south-east; scenery, Lnlworth Cove, the Chesil Bank (the curious spit Rushmore, in the south; Sherborne, in the north; Six­ which joins the Isle of Portland to the main) ; the amphi­ penny Handley, in the north; Stllrminster Newton, in the theatre at Dorchester; Agglestone, Puckstone, Hellstone, north; St. Georl'!:e, in the south; Tollerford, in the west Badbury Rings, Maumbury; tbe pits on Bladen Heath; midland; UggeBcombe, in the south; Whitchurch Canoni­ the earthworks lmrrounding Wareham; the fig-ure on the corum, in the west; Whiteway, in the midland; Winfritb Giant's Hill near Cerne, which is an ancient figure cut in Newbur/lh, in the south midland; and Yetminster, in the outline on the chalk 180 feet long; at Osmington is a east midland. similar figure of a horse and rider covering an acre of The Liberties are Alcester, Alton Pancras. Bindon, ground, representing George HI. on horseback; the Broad Windsor, Dewlish, Fordington, Frampton, GilIi!Jg­ churches at ~haftet!bury, Sherborne, and Wimborne; and ham, Halstock, Loders, and BothenhamptoD, Puddle­ the remains of the abbeys and priories. hinton, Pydel-Trenthide, Portland Isle, Ryme Intrinsica, The following is 8 list of the several poor law unions, Stower Provost, Sutton Poyntz, Sydling St. Nicholas, with the parishes contained in them :- Poorstock, Waby Rouse, Wyke Regis, tltoborough, and Owre-moigne. EEAMINSTER. The market-towns are Dorchester, Blandford, Sherborne, Beaminster Melbury Sampford Shafteslmry, Wimhorne, Poole, Wareham, Weymouth, Bettiscombe Misterton (Somerset) Bridport, Beaminster, Lyme, Stalhridge, Ceme Ahbas, Broad Windsor Mosterton and Sturminster; Gilling'ham 11as declined. Yeovil, Ax­ Burstock Netherbury minster, Crcwkerne, Charrl, Milhorne Port, and Wincanton, CiJeddington North Poorton are market-towlls in the bordel'ing shires. Corscombe Pilsdon Dorsetsllire is an arrhdeaconry, in the diocese of Salisbury East Chelborough Poorstock and province of Cantf'rbury, and forms fi ve deaneries. It Evershot Rampisham had forrr.eI'ly many rich and old abbeys of' Benedictines and Halstock Seaborough (Somerset) Cistercians; amOJlg those Wfre Sl.aftesbury, Sherborne, Hook South Perrot Cerne, Abbohbury, Binllon, Cranborne. Rorton. and Mapperton' Stoke Abbott or Stoke Abbas :Mitton ; hk~wise priories at Dorchestel', Bridport, Ware­ Marshwood West Chelborough ham, Loders, FralIlpton, and Speti~bury. Sherborne was Melbur~T Osmond Wraxall