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DORSET |
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History of Dorset The earliest recorded use of the name was in
AD 940 as Dorseteschire meaning the dwellers (saete) of Dornuuarana
(Dorchester), the place of fisticuffs (Welsh: Dwrn, "fist" and gwarae,
"play")[1]. The first known settlement of Dorset was by
Mesolithic hunters, from around 8000 BC. Their populations were small
and concentrated along the coast in the Isle of Purbeck, Weymouth and
Chesil Beach and along the Stour valley. These populations used tools
and fire to clear these areas of some of the native Oak forest.
Dorset's high chalk hills have provided a location for defensive
settlements for millennia, with neolithic and bronze age burial mounds
on almost every chalk hill in the county, and a number of iron age hill
forts, the most famous being Maiden Castle. The chalk downs would have
been deforested in these times, making way for farmland. Dorset has many notable Roman artifacts,
particularly around the Roman town Dorchester, where Maiden Castle was
captured from the Celtic Durotriges by Vespasian in 54 AD, early in the
Roman occupation. Roman roads radiated from Dorchester, following the
tops of the chalk ridges to the many small Roman villages around the
county. In the Roman era, settlements moved from the hill tops to the
valleys, and the hilltops had been abandoned by the 4th century. A
large defensive ditch, Bokerley Dyke, delayed the Saxon conquest of
Dorset from the north east for up to two hundred years. The Domesday
Book documents many Saxon settlements corresponding to modern towns and
villages, mostly in the valleys. There have been few changes to the
parishes since the Domesday Book. Over the next few centuries the
settlers established the pattern of farmland which prevailed into the
19th century, as well as many monasteries, which were important
landowners and centres of power. In the 12th century civil war, Dorset was
fortified with the construction of the defensive castles at Corfe
Castle, Powerstock, Wareham and Shaftesbury, and the strengthening of
the monasteries such as at Abbotsbury. In the 17th century English
Civil War, Dorset had a number of royalist strongholds, such as
Sherborne Castle and Corfe Castle, which were ruined by Parliamentarian
forces in the war. In the intervening years, the county was used by the
monarchy and nobility for hunting and the county still has a number of
Deer Parks. Throughout the late Medieval times, the remaining hilltop
settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian
periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broke up,
leading to an increase in population and settlement size. During the
industrial revolution, Dorset remained largely rural and still retains
its agricultural economy. The Tolpuddle Martyrs lived in Dorset, and
the farming economy of Dorset was central in the formation of the trade
union movement.
Places of interest Abbotsbury Abbey
Abbotsbury Castle
Abbotsbury Sub-tropical Gardens Badbury Rings
Blue Pool
Bokerley Dyke
Brownsea Island
Bulbarrow Hill
Canford Heath
Cerne Abbas giant
Chettle House
Clouds Hill
Corfe Castle
Cranborne Manor
Crichel House
Dorset Cursus Edmondsham House
Eggardon Fiddleford Mill Flagstones Forde Abbey Hambledon Hill
Hammoon Manor
Hardy Monument
Hardy's Cottage
Hengistbury Head Hod Hill
Holt Heath, Dorset
Horton Tower Jordan Hill Roman Temple
Kingston Lacy
Kingston Maurward
Kingston Russell
Lewesdon Hill
Limekiln Hill
Lulworth Castle Maiden Castle
Maumbury Rings
Melbury Down
Milton Abbey Monkey World Moors Valley Country Park
Mount Pleasant henge Nine Barrow Down
Osmington White Horse Pilsdon Pen Portland Castle Portland Sculpture Park
Poundbury Hill Purse Caundle Manor
Sherborne Abbey Sherborne Castle
Sherborne House
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway St Catherine's Chapel, Abbotsbury Stonebarrow Hill
Swanage Railway
Bovington Tank Museum, Bovington Wareham Forest
Wimborne Minster Winterborne Came House
On
the Jurassic Coast (a World Heritage Site) Abbotsbury Swannery (not AL) Chapman's Pool Chesil Beach and The Fleet (partly AL) Church Ope Cove Dancing Ledge Durdle Door Durlston Country Park
Golden Cap Hambury Tout Isle of Portland and Portland Bill (partly
AL) Kimmeridge Lulworth Cove Nothe Fort
Old Harry Rocks Osmington Mills Ringstead Bay Rufus Castle Sandsfoot Castle South West Coast Path, a long distance
footpath St Aldhelm's Head Studland Bay Thorncombe Beacon Tyneham (MOD ghost village) Weymouth Beach Worbarrow Bay (MOD) White Nothe Winspit |
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| Abbotsbury Abbott Street Acton Adber Affpuddle Alderholt Allington Allweston Almer Alton Pancras Anderson Ansty Cross Arne Ash Ashley Ashley Heath Ashmore Askerswell Athelhampton Bagber Bagber Common Batcombe Beaminster Bedchester Beer Hackett Belchalwell Belchalwell Street Benville Bere Regis Bettiscombe Bincombe Bingham's Melcombe Binnegar Birch Close Birdsmoorgate Bishop's Caundle Blackdown Blandford Camp Blandford Forum Blandford St Mary Bloxworth Boscombe Bothenhampton Bothenwood Bournemouth Bourton Boveridge Bovington Camp Boys Hill Bradford Abbas Bradford Peverell Bradpole Bramblecombe Branksome Branksome Park Briantspuddle Bridport Broadmayne Broadoak Broadstone Broadwey Broadwindsor Broomhill Bryanston Buckhorn Weston Buckland Newton Buckland Ripers Bugley Bulbarrow Burleston Burstock Burton - Christchurch Burton - Frome Whitfield Burton Bradstock Canford Bottom Canford Cliffs Canford Magna Cann Cashmoor Castletown Catherston Leweston Cattistock Caundle Marsh Cerne Abbas Chalbury Chalmington Charlestown Charlton Marshall Charlton on the Hill Charminster Charmouth Chedington Cheselbourne Chetnole Chettle Chickerell Chideock Chilcombe Child Okeford Chilfrome Christchurch Church Knowle Clapgate Coldharbour Colehill Coles Cross Combe Almer Compton Abbas Compton Valence Coombe Keynes Corfe Castle Corfe Mullen Corscombe Coryates Crab Orchard Cranborne Creekmoor Cripplestyle Crossways Crossways Crouch Hill Cruxton Culeaze Dean Dean End Dewlish Dibberford Doddings Dorchester Dottery Drimpton Drive End Droop Druce Dudsbury Duntish Durweston East Bexington East Burton East Chaldon East Chelborough East Creech East End East Holme East Knighton East Lulworth East Melbury East Morden East Orchard East Pulham East Stoke East Stour Easton Ebberley Eccliffe Edmondsham Enmore Green Ensbury Everley Evershot Eype Farnham Farrington Ferndown Fiddleford Fifehead Magdalen Fifehead Neville Fifehead St Quinton Filford Fishpond Fleet Folke Fontmell Magna Fontmell Parva Forde Abbey Forston Fortuneswell Frampton Friar Waddon Frome St Quintin Frome Vauchurch Frome Whitfield Furzehill Galton Gaunt's Common Gaunts Gaunts Common Giddy Green Gillingham Glanvilles Wootton Goathill Godmanstone Gold Hill Grange Gate Gribb Grimstone Grove Gussage All Saints Gussage St Andrew Gussage St Michael Guy's Marsh Halstock Ham Common Hamlet Hammoon Hampreston Hamworthy Hanford Harman's Cross Hartgrove Haydon Hazelbury Bryan Henley Hermitage Herringston Herston Hethfelton Hewood Highcliffe on Sea Higher Ansty Higher Bockhampton Higher Coombe Higher Halstock Leigh Higher Kingcombe Higher Nyland Higher Whatcombe Hilfield Hillbutts Hilton Hinton Martell Hinton St Mary Holdenhurst Village Holditch Holmebridge Holnest Holt Holt Heath Holton Heath Holwell Holworth Holywell Hooke Horn Ash Horton Huntingford Hurn Hursey Hurst Ibberton Ilsingston Ivy Cross Iwerne Courtney Iwerne Minster Kimmeridge King Stag Kingsland Kingston - North Dorset Kingston - Purbeck Kingston Lacy Kingston Maurward Kingston Russell Kington Magna Kinson Kittwhistle Knap Corner Knighton Knowlton Lake Langham Langton Herring Langton Long Langton Matravers Laymore Leigh Leigh Common Lewell Leweston Lillington Lilliput Little Bredy Littlemayne Littleton Littlewindsor Litton Cheney Loders Long Bredy Long Crichel Longburton Longham Loscombe Lower Ansty Lower Barnsley Lower Bincombe Lower Blandford St Mary Lower Bockhampton Lower Coombes Lower Halstock Leigh Lower Hamworthy Lower Holditch Lower Kingcombe Lower Mannington Lower Nyland Lower Street Lower Waterston Lower Whatcombe Lower Woodbury Lower Wraxall Lulworth Camp Lydlinch Lydlinch Common Lydmarsh Lyme Regis Lyon's Gate Lytchett Heath Lytchett Matravers Lytchett Minster Madjeston Maiden Newton Mangerton Mannington Manston Manswood Mapperton Mappowder Margaret Marsh Marnhull Marshwood Martinstown Melbury Abbas Melbury Bubb Melbury Osmond Melbury Sampford Melcombe Bingham Melcombe Horsey Melplash Merley Merry Field Hill Middlemarsh Milborne St Andrew Milborne Wood Milton Abbas Milton on Stour Minchington Minterne Magna Minterne Parva Moigne Combe Monkton Up Wimborne Monkton Wyld Moor Crichel Moorbath Moordown Moorside Morcombelake Morden Park Corner Moreton Mosterton Motcombe Muckleford Mudeford Nether Cerne Nether Compton Netherbury Netherhay Nettlecombe New Town - Farnham New Town - Moor Crichel Newport Newtown - Beaminster Newtown - Poole North Bowood North Chideock North End North Poorton North Wootton Northport Nottington Nutford Oakdale Oakerswood Oakley Oathill Oborne Okeford Fitzpaine Organford Osmington Osmington Mills Over Compton Owermoigne Oxbridge Packers Hill Pallington Pallington Heath Pamphill Parkstone Parley Pegwell Pentridge Piddlehinton Piddletrenthide Pig Oak Pilford Pilsdon Pimperne Pleck Plumber Plush Pokesdown Poole Portesham Portland Post Green Poundbury Powerstock Poxwell Poyntington Preston Puddletown Pulham Puncknowle Purse Caundle Putton Puxey Pymore Quarr Quarry Queen Oak Rampisham Rampisham Down Ridge Riding Gate Rivers Corner Rixon Rodden Rodgrove Rolls Mill Romford Ryall Ryme Intrinseca Salway Ash Sandbanks Sandford Sandford Orcas Sandhills - Chalmington Sandhills - Holwell Sandley Seaborough Seatown Shaftesbury Shapwick Shave Cross Sherborne Sherborne Causeway Sherford Sherstock Shillingstone Shipton Gorge Silton Sixpenny Handley Slaughtergate Sleight Slepe South Bowood South Perrott South Poorton Southbourne Southbrook Southover Southwell Spettisbury Spyway St Andrews Well St Ives St Leonards Stalbridge Stalbridge Weston Stallen Stanbridge Stapehill Steeple Stinsford Stoborough Stoborough Green Stockwood Stoke Abbott Stoke Wake Stokeford Stour Provost Stour Row Stourpaine Stourton Caundle Stratton Stubhampton Studland Sturminster Common Sturminster Marshall Sturminster Newton Sutton Poyntz Sutton Waldron Swanage Swyre Sydling St Nicholas Symondsbury Synderford Tadden Tarrant Crawford Tarrant Gunville Tarrant Hinton Tarrant Keynston Tarrant Launceston Tarrant Monkton Tarrant Rawston Tarrant Rushton Tatton Templemans Ash Thorncombe Thornford Thornicombe Three Legged Cross Throop - Bournemouth Throop - Purbeck Tincleton Todber Tollard Farnham Toller Fratrum Toller Porcorum Toller Whelme Tollerford Tolpuddle Trent Trickett's Cross Trigon Troytown Turnerspuddle Turnworth Twyford Tyneham Ulwell Up Cerne Up Sydling Uphall Uploders Uppington Upton - Poole Upton - Purbeck Upwey Verrington Verwood Wadbrook Waddock Waddon Walditch Wallisdown Walton Elm Wareham Warmwell Watercombe Waterloo Watton Waytown West Bay West Bexington West Bourton West Chaldon West Chelborough West Compton West Fossil West Holme West | |||||||||||
