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Old 12-19-2007, 11:46 PM   #31
Pretzel Logic
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haha good one Elvis

 
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:48 PM   #32
<sp3
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< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3< sp3

 
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:48 PM   #33
Elvis The Fat Years
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if i talked to shitty posters i'd say thank you.

 
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:50 PM   #34
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you're a year behind

 
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:51 PM   #35
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GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME





























































































































































































































































NOTHIN

 
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:55 PM   #36
Elvis The Fat Years
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andyslash... always looking out for people who can't afford glasses.

 
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:57 PM   #37
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http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2...rtboobske8.jpg

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:00 AM   #38
Ever
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
i am a passionate, polarizing person. people generally tend to love or hate me, without much middle ground
I feel strongly neutral about you.

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:01 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ever
I feel strongly neutral about you.
thanks. your the only one.

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:02 AM   #40
wHATcOLOR
THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
 
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i do too

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:02 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wHATcOLOR
i do too
fuck, there goes that theory

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:04 AM   #42
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*takes a bow*

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:06 AM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elvis The Fat Years
andyslash... always looking out for people who can't afford glasses.

do automated text readers for blind people increase their volume for larger and bolder text?


man, that would be sweet

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:14 AM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wHATcOLOR
*takes a bow*
i wouldn't bend over around here.

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 12:24 AM   #45
GlasgowKiss
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndySlash
GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME





























































































































































































































































NOTHIN
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndySlash
GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME





























































































































































































































































NOTHIN
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndySlash
GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME





























































































































































































































































NOTHIN
Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.

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Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.


"Monty Python and the Holy Grail"






The strictly unofficial script of the movie, done in a fit of boredom by [AHH
01Jan87] Touched up again by [AHH 25Jan89] (How time flies) Fixed by FDW and SAW
in October 94. Hypertext by SAW in November 94. Note: The script ends with the words
"The End."





The Cast


(in order of appearance [roughly]):




KING ARTHUR : Graham Chapman

PATSY : Terry Gilliam

GUARD #1 : Michael Palin

GUARD #2 : John Cleese

MORTICIAN : Eric Idle

CUSTOMER : John Cleese

DEAD PERSON : ?

DENNIS : Michael Palin

WOMAN : Terry Jones

BLACK KNIGHT : John Cleese

VILLAGER #1 : Eric Idle

VILLAGER #2 : Michael Palin

SIR BEDEMIR : Terry Jones

WITCH : ?

VILLAGER #3 : John Cleese

NARRATOR: Michael Palin

SIR LAUNCELOT : John Cleese

SIR GALAHAD : Michael Palin

SIR ROBIN : Eric Idle

GOD : ?

FRENCH GUARD : John Cleese

MINSTREL : ?

LEFT HEAD : Terry Jones

MIDDLE HEAD : Graham Chapman

RIGHT HEAD : Michael Palin

OLD MAN : Terry Gilliam

HEAD KNIGHT OF NEE : Michael Palin

FATHER : Michael Palin

PRINCE HERBERT : Terry Jones

GUARD #1 : Eric Idle

GUARD #2 : ?

CONCORDE : Eric Idle

OLD CRONE : ?

ROGER (THE SHRUBBER) : Eric Idle

TIM (THE ENCHANTER): John Cleese

BROTHER MAYNARD: Eric Idle

SECOND BROTHER: Michael Palin








Scene 1


 
[wind]
[clop clop]
ARTHUR: Whoa there!
[clop clop]

GUARD #1: Halt! Who goes there?
ARTHUR: It is I, Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, from the castle
of Camelot. King of the Britons, defeator of the Saxons, sovereign
of all England!
GUARD #1: Pull the other one!
ARTHUR: I am. And this my trusty servant Patsy.
We have ridden the length and breadth of the land in search of knights
who will join me in my court of Camelot. I must speak with your lord
and master.
GUARD #1: What, ridden on a horse?
ARTHUR: Yes!
GUARD #1: You're using coconuts!
ARTHUR: What?
GUARD #1: You've got two empty halves of coconut and you're bangin'
'em together.
ARTHUR: So? We have ridden since the snows of winter covered this
land, through the kingdom of Mercea, through--
GUARD #1: Where'd you get the coconut?
ARTHUR: We found them.
GUARD #1: Found them? In Mercea? The coconut's tropical!
ARTHUR: What do you mean?
GUARD #1: Well, this is a temperate zone.
ARTHUR: The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin
or the plumber may seek warmer climes in winter yet these are not
strangers to our land.
GUARD #1: Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
ARTHUR: Not at all, they could be carried.
GUARD #1: What -- a swallow carrying a coconut?
ARTHUR: It could grip it by the husk!
GUARD #1: It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple
question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a 1 pound
coconut.
ARTHUR: Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master
that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here.
GUARD #1: Listen, in order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow
needs to beat its wings 43 times every second, right?
ARTHUR: Please!
GUARD #1: Am I right?
ARTHUR: I'm not interested!
GUARD #2: It could be carried by an African swallow!
GUARD #1: Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European
swallow, that's my point.
GUARD #2: Oh, yeah, I agree with that...
ARTHUR: Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court
at Camelot?!
GUARD #1: But then of course African swallows are not migratory.
GUARD #2: Oh, yeah...
GUARD #1: So they couldn't bring a coconut back anyway...
[clop clop]
GUARD #2: Wait a minute -- supposing two swallows carried it together?
GUARD #1: No, they'd have to have it on a line.
GUARD #2: Well, simple! They'd just use a standard creeper!
GUARD #1: What, held under the dorsal guiding feathers?
GUARD #2: Well, why not?


Scene 2


 
MORTICIAN: Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
CUSTOMER: Here's one -- nine pence.
DEAD PERSON: I'm not dead!
MORTICIAN: What?
CUSTOMER: Nothing -- here's your nine pence.
DEAD PERSON: I'm not dead!
MORTICIAN: Here -- he says he's not dead!
CUSTOMER: Yes, he is.
DEAD PERSON: I'm not!
MORTICIAN: He isn't.
CUSTOMER: Well, he will be soon, he's very ill.
DEAD PERSON: I'm getting better!
CUSTOMER: No, you're not -- you'll be stone dead in a moment.
MORTICIAN: Oh, I can't take him like that -- it's against regulations.
DEAD PERSON: I don't want to go in the cart!
CUSTOMER: Oh, don't be such a baby.
MORTICIAN: I can't take him...
DEAD PERSON: I feel fine!
CUSTOMER: Oh, do us a favor...
MORTICIAN: I can't.
CUSTOMER: Well, can you hang around a couple of minutes? He won't
be long.
MORTICIAN: Naaah, I got to go on to Robinson's -- they've lost nine
today.
CUSTOMER: Well, when is your next round?
MORTICIAN: Thursday.
DEAD PERSON: I think I'll go for a walk.
CUSTOMER: You're not fooling anyone y'know. Look, isn't there
something you can do?
DEAD PERSON: I feel happy... I feel happy.
[whop]
CUSTOMER: Ah, thanks very much.
MORTICIAN: Not at all. See you on Thursday.
CUSTOMER: Right.
[clop clop]
MORTICIAN: Who's that then?
CUSTOMER: I don't know.
MORTICIAN: Must be a king.
CUSTOMER: Why?
MORTICIAN: He hasn't got shit all over him.


Scene 3


 
[clop clop]
ARTHUR: Old woman!
DENNIS: Man!
ARTHUR: Old Man, sorry. What knight live in that castle over there?
DENNIS: I'm thirty seven.
ARTHUR: What?
DENNIS: I'm thirty seven -- I'm not old!
ARTHUR: Well, I can't just call you `Man'.
DENNIS: Well, you could say `Dennis'.
ARTHUR: Well, I didn't know you were called `Dennis.'
DENNIS: Well, you didn't bother to find out, did you?
ARTHUR: I did say sorry about the `old woman,' but from the behind
you looked--
DENNIS: What I object to is you automatically treat me like an inferior!
ARTHUR: Well, I AM king...
DENNIS: Oh king, eh, very nice. An' how'd you get that, eh? By
exploitin' the workers -- by 'angin' on to outdated imperialist dogma
which perpetuates the economic an' social differences in our society!
If there's ever going to be any progress--
WOMAN: Dennis, there's some lovely filth down here. Oh -- how d'you do?
ARTHUR: How do you do, good lady. I am Arthur, King of the Britons.
Who's castle is that?
WOMAN: King of the who?
ARTHUR: The Britons.
WOMAN: Who are the Britons?
ARTHUR: Well, we all are. we're all Britons and I am your king.
WOMAN: I didn't know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous
collective.
DENNIS: You're fooling yourself. We're living in a dictatorship.
A self-perpetuating autocracy in which the working classes--
WOMAN: Oh there you go, bringing class into it again.
DENNIS: That's what it's all about if only people would--
ARTHUR: Please, please good people. I am in haste. Who lives
in that castle?
WOMAN: No one live there.
ARTHUR: Then who is your lord?
WOMAN: We don't have a lord.
ARTHUR: What?
DENNIS: I told you. We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take
it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week.
ARTHUR: Yes.
DENNIS: But all the decision of that officer have to be ratified
at a special biweekly meeting.
ARTHUR: Yes, I see.
DENNIS: By a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs,--
ARTHUR: Be quiet!
DENNIS: --but by a two-thirds majority in the case of more--
ARTHUR: Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!
WOMAN: Order, eh -- who does he think he is?
ARTHUR: I am your king!
WOMAN: Well, I didn't vote for you.
ARTHUR: You don't vote for kings.
WOMAN: Well, 'ow did you become king then?
ARTHUR: The Lady of the Lake,
[angels sing]
her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur
from the bosom of the water signifying by Divine Providence that I,
Arthur, was to carry Excalibur.
[singing stops]
That is why I am your king!
DENNIS: Listen -- strange women lying in ponds distributing swords
is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power
derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical
aquatic ceremony.
ARTHUR: Be quiet!
DENNIS: Well you can't expect to wield supreme executive power
just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
ARTHUR: Shut up!
DENNIS: I mean, if I went around sayin' I was an empereror just
because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me they'd
put me away!
ARTHUR: Shut up! Will you shut up!
DENNIS: Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system.
ARTHUR: Shut up!
DENNIS: Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system!
HELP! HELP! I'm being repressed!
ARTHUR: Bloody peasant!
DENNIS: Oh, what a give away. Did you here that, did you here that,
eh? That's what I'm on about -- did you see him repressing me,
you saw it didn't you?


Scene 4


 
[arg]
[ugh]
[hah]

ARTHUR: You fight with the strength of many men, Sir knight.
I am Arthur, King of the Britons.
[pause]
I seek the finest and the bravest knights in the land to join me
in my Court of Camelot.
[pause]
You have proved yourself worthy; will you join me?
[pause]
You make me sad. So be it. Come, Patsy.
BLACK KNIGHT: None shall pass.
ARTHUR: What?
BLACK KNIGHT: None shall pass.
ARTHUR: I have no quarrel with you, good Sir knight, but I must
cross this bridge.
BLACK KNIGHT: Then you shall die.
ARTHUR: I command you as King of the Britons to stand aside!
BLACK KNIGHT: I move for no man.
ARTHUR: So be it!
[hah]
[parry thrust]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's left arm off]
ARTHUR: Now stand aside, worthy adversary.
BLACK KNIGHT: 'Tis but a scratch.
ARTHUR: A scratch? Your arm's off!
BLACK KNIGHT: No, it isn't.
ARTHUR: Well, what's that then?
BLACK KNIGHT: I've had worse.
ARTHUR: You liar!
BLACK KNIGHT: Come on you pansy!
[hah]
[parry thrust]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's right arm off]
ARTHUR: Victory is mine!
[kneeling]
We thank thee Lord, that in thy merc-
[hah]
BLACK KNIGHT: Come on then.
ARTHUR: What?
BLACK KNIGHT: Have at you!
ARTHUR: You are indeed brave, Sir knight, but the fight is mine.
BLACK KNIGHT: Oh, had enough, eh?
ARTHUR: Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left.
BLACK KNIGHT: Yes I have.
ARTHUR: Look!
BLACK KNIGHT: Just a flesh wound.
[bang]
ARTHUR: Look, stop that.
BLACK KNIGHT: Chicken! Chicken!
ARTHUR: Look, I'll have your leg. Right!
[whop]
BLACK KNIGHT: Right, I'll do you for that!
ARTHUR: You'll what?
BLACK KNIGHT: Come 'ere!
ARTHUR: What are you going to do, bleed on me?
BLACK KNIGHT: I'm invincible!
ARTHUR: You're a loony.
BLACK KNIGHT: The Black Knight always triumphs!
Have at you! Come on then.
[whop]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's other leg off]
BLACK KNIGHT: All right; we'll call it a draw.
ARTHUR: Come, Patsy.
BLACK KNIGHT: Oh, oh, I see, running away then. You yellow
bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to you.
I'll bite your legs off!


Scene 5


 
CROWD: A witch! A witch! A witch! We've got a witch! A witch!
VILLAGER #1: We have found a witch, might we burn her?
CROWD: Burn her! Burn!
BEDEMIR: How do you know she is a witch?
VILLAGER #2: She looks like one.
BEDEMIR: Bring her forward.
WITCH: I'm not a witch. I'm not a witch.
BEDEMIR: But you are dressed as one.
WITCH: They dressed me up like this.
CROWD: No, we didn't... no.
WITCH: And this isn't my nose, it's a false one.
BEDEMIR: Well?
VILLAGER #1: Well, we did do the nose.
BEDEMIR: The nose?
VILLAGER #1: And the hat -- but she is a witch!
CROWD: Burn her! Witch! Witch! Burn her!
BEDEMIR: Did you dress her up like this?
CROWD: No, no... no ... yes. Yes, yes, a bit, a bit.
VILLAGER #1: She has got a wart.
BEDEMIR: What makes you think she is a witch?
VILLAGER #3: Well, she turned me into a newt.
BEDEMIR: A newt?
VILLAGER #3: I got better.
VILLAGER #2: Burn her anyway!
CROWD: Burn! Burn her!
BEDEMIR: Quiet, quiet. Quiet! There are ways of telling whether
she is a witch.
CROWD: Are there? What are they?
BEDEMIR: Tell me, what do you do with witches?
VILLAGER #2: Burn!
CROWD: Burn, burn them up!
BEDEMIR: And what do you burn apart from witches?
VILLAGER #1: More witches!
VILLAGER #2: Wood!
BEDEMIR: So, why do witches burn?
[pause]
VILLAGER #3: B--... 'cause they're made of wood...?
BEDEMIR: Good!
CROWD: Oh yeah, yeah...
BEDEMIR: So, how do we tell whether she is made of wood?
VILLAGER #1: Build a bridge out of her.
BEDEMIR: Aah, but can you not also build bridges out of stone?
VILLAGER #2: Oh, yeah.
BEDEMIR: Does wood sink in water?
VILLAGER #1: No, no.
VILLAGER #2: It floats! It floats!
VILLAGER #1: Throw her into the pond!
CROWD: The pond!
BEDEMIR: What also floats in water?
VILLAGER #1: Bread!
VILLAGER #2: Apples!
VILLAGER #3: Very small rocks!
VILLAGER #1: Cider!
VILLAGER #2: Great gravy!
VILLAGER #1: Cherries!
VILLAGER #2: Mud!
VILLAGER #3: Churches -- churches!
VILLAGER #2: Lead -- lead!
ARTHUR: A duck.
CROWD: Oooh.
BEDEMIR: Exactly! So, logically...,
VILLAGER #1: If... she.. weighs the same as a duck, she's made of wood.
BEDEMIR: And therefore--?
VILLAGER #1: A witch!
CROWD: A witch!
BEDEMIR: We shall use my larger scales!
[yelling]
BEDEMIR: Right, remove the supports!
[whop]
[creak]
CROWD: A witch! A witch!
WITCH: It's a fair cop.
CROWD: Burn her! Burn! [yelling]
BEDEMIR: Who are you who are so wise in the ways of science?
ARTHUR: I am Arthur, King of the Britons.
BEDEMIR: My liege!
ARTHUR: Good Sir knight, will you come with me to Camelot,
and join us at the Round Table?
BEDEMIR: My liege! I would be honored.
ARTHUR: What is your name?
BEDEMIR: Bedemir, my leige.
ARTHUR: Then I dub you Sir Bedemir, Knight of the Round Table.


[Narrative Interlude]


 
NARRATOR: The wise Sir Bedemir was the first to join King Arthur's
knights, but other illustrious names were soon to follow:
Sir Launcelot the Brave; Sir Galahad the Pure; and Sir Robin the
Not-quite-so-brave-as-Sir-Launcelot who had nearly fought the Dragon
of Agnor, who had nearly stood up to the vicious Chicken of Bristol
and who had personally wet himself at the Battle of Badon Hill; and
the aptly named Sir Not-appearing-in-this-film. Together they formed
a band whose names and deeds were to be retold throughout the centuries,
the Knights of the Round Table.


Scene 6


 
BEDEMIR: And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped.
ARTHUR: This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedemir. Explain again how
sheeps' bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes.
BEDEMIR: Oh, certainly, sir.
LAUNCELOT: Look, my liege!
ARTHUR: Camelot!
GALAHAD: Camelot!
LAUNCELOT: Camelot!
PATSY: It's only a model.
ARTHUR: Shhh! Knights, I bid you welcome to your new home. Let us
ride... to Camelot.

[singing]
We're knights of the round table
We dance when e'er we're able
We do routines and parlour scenes
With footwork impecc-Able.

We dine well here in Camelot
We eat ham and jam and spam a lot

[dancing]

We're knights of the Round Table
Our shows are for-mid-able
Though many times we're given rhymes
That are quite unsing-able
We not so fat in Camelot
We sing from the diaphragm a lot

[tap-dancing]

Oh we're tough and able
Quite indefatigable
Between our quests we sequin vests
And impersonate Clark Gable
It's a bit too loud in Camelot
I have to push the pram a lot.

ARTHUR: Well, on second thought, let's not go to Camelot -- it is
a silly place.
Right.


Scene 7


   GOD:  Arthur!  Arthur, King of the Britons!  Oh, don't grovel!  If
there's one thing I can't stand, it's people groveling.
ARTHUR: Sorry--
GOD: And don't apologize. Every time I try to talk to someone it's
"sorry this" and "forgive me that" and "I'm not worthy". What are you
doing now!?
ARTHUR: I'm averting my eyes, oh Lord.
GOD: Well, don't. It's like those miserable Psalms-- they're so
depressing. Now knock it off!
ARTHUR: Yes, Lord.
GOD: Right! Arthur, King of the Britons -- your Knights of the Round
Table shall have a task to make them an example in these dark times.
ARTHUR: Good idea, oh Lord!
GOD: 'Course it's a good idea! Behold! Arthur, this is the Holy
Grail. Look well, Arthur, for it is your sacred task to seek
this Grail. That is your purpose, Arthur -- the Quest for the
Holy Grail.
ARTHUR: A blessing!
LAUNCELOT: A blessing from the Lord!
GALAHAD: God be praised!


Scene 8


     [clop clop]
ARTHUR: Halt! Hallo! Hallo!
GUARD: 'Allo! Who is zis?
ARTHUR: It is King Arthur, and these are the Knights of the Round
Table. Who's castle is this?
GUARD: This is the castle of Our Master Ruiz' de lu la Ramper (sp?)
ARTHUR: Go and tell your master that we have been charged by God
with a sacred quest. If he will give us food and shelter for the
night he can join us in our quest for the Holy Grail.
GUARD: Well, I'll ask him, but I don't think he'll be very keen...
Uh, he's already got one, you see?
ARTHUR: What?
GALAHAD: He says they've already got one!
ARTHUR: Are you sure he's got one?
GUARD: Oh, yes, it's very nice-a [To Other Guards] I told him we already got one.
OTHER GUARDS: [Laughing]
ARTHUR: Well, um, can we come up and have a look?
GUARD: Of course not! You are English types-a!
ARTHUR: Well, what are you then?
GUARD: I'm French! Why do think I have this outrageous accent, you
silly king!
GALAHAD: What are you doing in England?
GUARD: Mind your own business!
ARTHUR: If you will not show us the Grail, we shall take your castle
by force!
GUARD: You don't frighten us, English pig-dogs! Go and boil your
bottoms, sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called
Arthur-king, you and all your silly English kaniggets. Thppppt!
GALAHAD: What a strange person.
ARTHUR: Now look here, my good man!
GUARD: I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal
food trough whopper! I fart in your general direction! You mother
was a hamster and your father smelt of eldeberries.
GALAHAD: Is there someone else up there we could talk to?
GUARD: No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time-a!
ARTHUR: Now, this is your last chance. I've been more than reasonable.
GUARD: (Fetchez la vache.)
wha?
GUARD: (Fetchez la vache!)
[moo]
ARTHUR: If you do not agree to my commands, then I shall--
[twong]
[mooooooo]
Jesus Christ!
Right! Charge!
ALL: Charge!
[mayhem]
GUARD: Ah, this one is for your mother!
[twong]
ALL: Run away!
GUARD: Thpppt!
LAUNCELOT: Fiends! I'll tear them apart!
ARTHUR: No no, no.
BEDEMIR: Sir! I have a plan, sir.

[later]

[chop]
[mrrrrrreeeeeeaaaaaaauuuuww]
[rumble rumble squeak]
MUTTERING GUARDS: ce labon a bunny do
wha?
un cadeau?
a present!
oh, un cadeau.
oui oui hurry!
wha-?
let's go!
[rumble rumble squeak]

ARTHUR: What happens now?
BEDEMIR: Well, now, uh, Launcelot, Galahad, and I wait until nightfall,
and then leap out of the rabbit, taking the French by surprise --
not only by surprise, but totally unarmed!
ARTHUR: Who leaps out?
BEDEMIR: Uh, Launcelot, Galahad, and I. Uh, leap out of the rabbit, uh
and uh....
ARTHUR: Oh....
BEDEMIR: Oh.... Um, l-look, if we built this large wooden badger--
[twong]
ALL: Run away! Run away! Run away! Run away!
[splat]
GUARDS: Oh, haw haw haw.


Scene 9


 
Pictures for Schools, take 8.
DIRECTOR: Action!

NARRATOR: Defeat at the castle seems to have utterly disheartened
King Arthur. The ferocity of the French taunting took him completely
by surprise, and Arthur became convinced that a new strategy
was required if the quest for the Holy Grail were to be brought
to a successful conclusion. Arthur, having consulted his closest
knights, decided that they should separate, and search for the Grail
individually. Now, this is what they did--
[tromp tromp]
[slash]
WOMAN: Greg!


Scene 10


 
NARRATOR: The Tale of Sir Robin....
So each of the knights went their separate ways. Sir Robin rode north,
through the dark forest of Ewing, accompanied by his favorite minstrels.

MINSTREL (singing):

Bravely bold Sir Robin, rode forth from Camelot.
He was not afraid to die, o Brave Sir Robin.
He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways.
Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Robin!

He was not in the least bit scared to be mashed
into a pulp,
Or to have his eyes gouged out, and his elbows broken.
To have his kneecaps split, and his body burned away,
And his limbs all hacked and mangled, brave Sir Robin!

His head smashed in and his heart cut out,
And his liver removed and his bowels unplugged,
And his nostrils ripped and his bottom burned off,
And his penis--

ROBIN: That's -- that's, uh, that's enough music for now, lads.
Looks like there's dirty work afoot.
DENNIS: Anarcho-syndicalism is a way of preserving freedom.
WOMAN: Oh, Dennis, forget about freedom. Now I've dropped my mud.
ALL HEADS: Halt! Who art thou?
MINSTREL (singing): He is brave Sir Robin, brave Sir Robin, who--
ROBIN: Shut up! Um, n-n-nobody really, I'm j-just um, just passing
through.
ALL HEADS: What do you want?
MINSTREL (singing): To fight, and--
ROBIN: Shut up! Um, oo, n-nothing, nothing really -- I, uh, j-j-ust
to um, just to p-pass through, good Sir knight.
ALL HEADS: I'm afraid not!
ROBIN: Ah. W-well, actually I am a Knight of the Round Table.
ALL HEADS: You're a Knight of the Round Table?
ROBIN: I am.
LEFT HEAD: In that case I shall have to kill you.
MIDDLE HEAD: Shall I?
RIGHT HEAD: Oh, I don't think so.
MIDDLE HEAD: Well, what do I think?
LEFT HEAD: I think kill him.
RIGHT HEAD: Well let's be nice to him.
MIDDLE HEAD: Oh shut up.
LEFT HEAD: Perhaps-
MIDDLE HEAD: And you.
LEFT HEAD: Oh quick get the sword out I want to cut his head off!
RIGHT HEAD: Oh, cut your own head off!
MIDDLE HEAD: Yes, do us all a favor!
LEFT HEAD: What?
RIGHT HEAD: Yapping on all the time.
MIDDLE HEAD: You're lucky. You're not next to him.
LEFT HEAD: What do you mean?
MIDDLE HEAD: You snore.
LEFT HEAD: Oh I don't -- anyway, you've got bad breath.
MIDDLE HEAD: Well its only because you don't brush my teeth.
RIGHT HEAD: Oh stop bitching and let's go have tea.
LEFT HEAD: All right, all right, all right. We'll kill him first
and then have tea and biscuits.
MIDDLE HEAD: Yes.
RIGHT HEAD: Oh, but not biscuits.
LEFT HEAD: All right, all right, not biscuits, but lets kill him anyway.
ALL HEADS: Right!
LEFT HEAD: He buggered off.
RIGHT HEAD: So he has, he's scarpered.

MINSTREL (singing): Brave Sir Robin ran away
ROBIN: No!
MINSTREL (singing): Bravely ran away away
ROBIN: I didn't!
MINSTREL (singing): When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled
ROBIN: No!
MINSTREL (singing): Yes Brave Sir Robin turned about
ROBIN: I didn't!
MINSTREL (singing): And gallantly he chickened out
Bravely taking to his feet
ROBIN: I never did!
MINSTREL (singing): He beat a very brave retreat
ROBIN: Oh, lie!
MINSTREL (singing): Bravest of the brave Sir Robin
ROBIN: I never!


Scene 11


 
NARRATOR: The Tale of Sir Galahad

[boom crash]
[angels singing]

[pound pound pound]
GALAHAD: Open the door!
Open the door!
[pound pound pound]
In the name of King Arthur, open the door!
[squeak thump]
[squeak boom]
ALL: Hello!
ZOOT: Welcome gentle Sir knight, welcome to the Castle Anthrax.
GALAHAD: The Castle Anthrax?
ZOOT: Yes... oh, it's not a very good name? Oh! but we are
nice and we shall attend to your every, every need!
GALAHAD: You are the keepers of the Holy Grail?
ZOOT: The what?
GALAHAD: The Grail -- it is here?
ZOOT: Oh, but you are tired, and you must rest awhile. Midget!
Crepper!
MIDGET and CREPPER: Yes, oh Zoot!
ZOOT: Prepare a bed for our guest.
MIDGET and CREPPER: Oh thank you thank you thank you--
ZOOT: Away away vile temptress! The beds here are warm and soft -- and
very, very big.
GALAHAD: Well, look, I-I-uh--
ZOOT: What is your name, handsome knight?
GALAHAD: Sir Galahad... the Chaste.
ZOOT: Mine is Zoot... just Zoot. Oh, but come!
GALAHAD: Look, please! In God's name, show me the Grail!
ZOOT: Oh, you have suffered much! You are delirious!
GALAHAD: L-look, I have seen it! It is here, in the--
ZOOT: Sir Galahad! You would not be so ungallant as to refuse our
hospitality.
GALAHAD: Well, I-I-uh--
ZOOT: Oh, I am afraid our life must seem very dull and quiet compared
to yours. We are but eight score young blondes and brunettes, all between
sixteen and nineteen and a half, cut off in this castle with no one to
protect us! Oh, it is a lonely life -- bathing, dressing, undressing,
making exciting underwear.... We are just not used to handsome knights.
Nay, nay, come, come, you may lie here. Oh, but you are wounded!
GALAHAD: No, no -- i-it's nothing!
ZOOT: Oh, but you must see the doctors immediately! No, no, please,
lie down.
[clap clap]
PIGLET: Ah. What seems to be the trouble?
GALAHAD: They're doctors?!
ZOOT: Uh, they've had a basic medical training, yes.
GALAHAD: B-but--
ZOOT: Oh, come come, you must try to rest! Doctor Piglet, Doctor
Winston, practice your art.
PIGLET: Try to relax.
GALAHAD: Are you sure that's necessary?
PIGLET: We must examine you.
GALAHAD: There's nothing wrong with that!
PIGLET: Please -- we are doctors.
GALAHAD: Get off the bed! I am sworn to chastity!
PIGLET: Back to your bed!
GALAHAD: Torment me no longer! I have seen the Grail!
PIGLET: There's no grail here.
GALAHAD: I have seen it, I have seen it. I have seen--
GIRLS: Hello.
GALAHAD: Oh--
VARIOUS GIRLS: Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
GALAHAD: Zoot!
DINGO: No, I am Zoot's identical twin sister, Dingo.
GALAHAD: Oh, well, excuse me, I--
DINGO: Where are you going?
GALAHAD: I seek the Grail! I have seen it, here in this castle!
DINGO: No! Oh, no! Bad, bad Zoot!
GALAHAD: What is it?
DINGO: Oh, wicked, bad, naughty Zoot! She has been setting alight
to our beacon, which, I just remembered, is grail-shaped. It's not the
first time we've had this problem.
GALAHAD: It's not the real Grail?
DINGO: Oh, wicked, bad, naughty, evil Zoot! Oh, she is a naughty
person, and she must pay the penalty -- and here in Castle Anthrax, we
have but one punishment for setting alight the grail-shaped beacon. You
must tie her down on a bed and spank her!
GIRLS: A spanking! A spanking!
DINGO: You must spank her well. And after you have spanked her, you
may deal with her as you like. And then, spank me.
VARIOUS GIRLS: And spank me.
And me.
And me.
DINGO: Yes, yes, you must give us all a good spanking!
GIRLS: A spanking! A spanking!
DINGO: And after the spanking, the oral sex.
GIRLS: Oral sex! Oral sex!
GALAHAD: Well, I could stay a BIT longer.
LAUNCELOT: Sir Galahad!
GALAHAD: Oh, hello.
LAUNCELOT: Quick!
GALAHAD: What?
LAUNCELOT: Quick!
GALAHAD: Why?
LAUNCELOT: You're in great peril!
LAUNCELOT: Silence, foul temptress!
GALAHAD: Now look, it's not important.
LAUNCELOT: Quick! Come on and we'll cover your escape!
GALAHAD: Look, I'm fine!
LAUNCELOT: Come on!
GALAHAD: Now look, I can tackle this lot single-handed!
DINGO: Yes! Let him tackle us single-handed!
GIRLS: Yes! Tackle us single-handed!
LAUNCELOT: No, Sir Galahad, come on!
GALAHAD: No, really, honestly, I can go back and handle this lot easily!
DINGO: Oh, yes, he can handle us easily.
GIRLS: Yes, yes!
GALAHAD: Wait! I can defeat them! There's only a hundred and fifty
of them!
DINGO: Yes, yes, he'll beat us easily, we haven't a chance.
GIRLS: Yes, yes.
[boom]
DINGO: Oh, shit.
[outside]
LAUNCELOT: We were in the nick of time, you were in great peril.
GALAHAD: I don't think I was.
LAUNCELOT: Yes you were, you were in terrible peril.
GALAHAD: Look, let me go back in there and face the peril.
LAUNCELOT: No, it's too perilous.
GALAHAD: Look, I'm a knight, I'm supposed to get as much peril as I can.
LAUNCELOT: No, we've got to find the Holy Grail. Come on!
GALAHAD: Well, let me have just a little bit of peril?
LAUNCELOT: No, it's unhealthy.
GALAHAD: Bet you're gay!
LAUNCELOT: No, I'm not.


Narrative Interlude 2


 
NARRATOR: Sir Launcelot had saved Sir Galahad from almost certain
temptation, but they were still no nearer the Grail. Meanwhile,
King Arthur and Sir Bedemir, not more than a swallow's flight away,
had discovered something. Oh, that's an unladen swallow's flight,
obviously. I mean, they were more than two laden swallow's flights
away -- four, really, if they hadn't a cord of line between them.
I mean, if the birds were walking and dragging--
CROWD: Get on with it!
NARRATOR: Oh, anyway, on to scene twenty-four, which is a smashing
scene with some lovely acting, in which Arthur discovers a vital clue,
in which there aren't any swallows, although I think you can hear a
starling -oolp!


Scene 24


 
OLD MAN: Ah, hee he he ha!
ARTHUR: And this enchanter of whom you speak, he has seen the grail?
OLD MAN: Ha ha he he he he!
ARTHUR: Where does he live? Old man, where does he live?
OLD MAN: He knows of a cave, a cave which no man has entered.
ARTHUR: And the Grail... The Grail is there?
OLD MAN: Very much danger, for beyond the cave lies the Gorge
of Eternal Peril, which no man has ever crossed.
ARTHUR: But the Grail! Where is the Grail!?
OLD MAN: Seek you the Bridge of Death.
ARTHUR: The Bridge of Death, which leads to the Grail?
OLD MAN: Hee hee ha ha!

Scene 25


 
HEAD KNIGHT: Nee!
Nee!
Nee!
Nee!
ARTHUR: Who are you?
HEAD KNIGHT: We are the Knights Who Say... Nee!
ARTHUR: No! Not the Knights Who Say Nee!
HEAD KNIGHT: The same!
BEDEMIR: Who are they?
HEAD KNIGHT: We are the keepers of the sacred words: Nee, Pen, and
Nee-wom!
RANDOM: Nee-wom!
ARTHUR: Those who hear them seldom live to tell the tale!
HEAD KNIGHT: The Knights Who Say Nee demand a sacrifice!
ARTHUR: Knights of Nee, we are but simple travellers who seek the
enchanter who lives beyond these woods.
HEAD KNIGHT: Nee! Nee! Nee! Nee!
ARTHUR and PARTY: Oh, ow!
HEAD KNIGHT: We shall say 'nee' again to you if you do not appease us.
ARTHUR: Well, what is it you want?
HEAD KNIGHT: We want... a shrubbery!
[dramatic chord]
ARTHUR: A what?
HEAD KNIGHT: Nee! Nee!
ARTHUR and PARTY: Oh, ow!
ARTHUR: Please, please! No more! We shall find a shrubbery.
HEAD KNIGHT: You must return here with a shrubbery or else you will
never pass through this wood alive!
ARTHUR: O Knights of Nee, you are just and fair, and we will return
with a shrubbery.
HEAD KNIGHT: One that looks nice.
ARTHUR: Of course.
HEAD KNIGHT: And not too expensive.
ARTHUR: Yes.
HEAD KNIGHTS: Now... go!


Scene 26


 
NARRATOR: The Tale of Sir Launcelot.

FATHER: One day, lad, all this will be yours!
ERBERT: What, the curtains?
FATHER: No, not the curtains, lad. All that you can see! Stretched
out over the hills and valleys of this land! This'll be your kingdom,
lad!
HERBERT: But, Mother--
FATHER: Father, I'm Father.
HERBERT: But Father, I don't want any of that.
FATHER: Listen, lad. I've built this kingdom up from nothing. When
I started here, all there was was swamp. All the kings said I was
daft to build a castle in a swamp, but I built it all the same,
just to show 'em. It sank into the swamp. So, I built a second one.
That sank into the swamp. So I built a third one. That burned down,
fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up.
An' that's what your gonna get, lad -- the strongest castle in these
islands.
HERBERT: But I don't want any of that -- I'd rather--
FATHER: Rather what?!
HERBERT: I'd rather... just...
[music]
...sing!
FATHER: Stop that, stop that! You're not going to do a song while
I'm here. Now listen lad, in twenty minutes you're getting married to
a girl whose father owns the biggest tracts of open land in Britain.
HERBERT: But I don't want land.
FATHER: Listen, Alex,--
HERBERT: Herbert.
FATHER: Herbert. We live in a bloody swamp. We need all the land we
can get.
HERBERT: But I don't like her.
FATHER: Don't like her?! What's wrong with her? She's beautiful,
she's rich, she's got huge... tracts of land.
HERBERT: I know, but I want the girl that I marry to have...
a certain... special...
[music]
...something...
FATHER: Cut that out, cut that out. Look, you're marryin' Princess
Lucky, so you'd better get used to the idea. [smack] Guards! Make sure
the Prince doesn't leave this room until I come and get 'im.
GUARD #1: Not to leave the room even if you come and get him.
GUARD #2: Hic!
FATHER: No, no. Until I come and get 'im.
GUARD #1: Until you come and get him, we're not to enter the room.
FATHER: No, no, no. You stay in the room and make sure 'e doesn't
leave.
GUARD #1: And you'll come and get him.
GUARD #2: Hic!
FATHER: Right.
GUARD #1: We don't need to do anything, apart from just stop him
entering the room.
FATHER: No, no. Leaving the room.
GUARD #1: Leaving the room, yes.
FATHER: All right?
GUARD #1: Right. Oh, if-if-if, uh, if-if-if, uh, if-if-if we...
FATHER: Yes, what is it?
GUARD #1: Oh, if-if, oh--
FATHER: Look, it's quite simple.
GUARD #1: Uh...
FATHER: You just stay here, and make sure 'e doesn't leave the room.
All right?
GUARD #2: Hic!
FATHER: Right.
GUARD #1: Oh, I remember. Uh, can he leave the room with us?
FATHER: N- No no no. You just keep him in here, and make sure--
GUARD #1: Oh, yes, we'll keep him in here, obviously. But if he had
to leave and we were--
FATHER: No, no, just keep him in here--
GUARD #1: Until you, or anyone else,--
FATHER: No, not anyone else, just me--
GUARD #1: Just you.
GUARD #2: Hic!
FATHER: Get back.
GUARD #1: Get back.
FATHER: Right?
GUARD #1: Right, we'll stay here until you get back.
FATHER: And, uh, make sure he doesn't leave.
GUARD #1: What?
FATHER: Make sure 'e doesn't leave.
GUARD #1: The Prince?
FATHER: Yes, make sure 'e doesn't leave.
GUARD #1: Oh, yes, of course. I thought you meant him. Y'know, it
seemed a bit daft, me havin' to guard him when he's a guard.
FATHER: Is that clear?
GUARD #2: Hic!
GUARD #1: Oh, quite clear, no problems.
FATHER: Right.
[starts to leave]
Where are you going?
GUARD #1: We're coming with you.
FATHER: No no, I want you to stay 'ere and make sure 'e doesn't leave.
GUARD #1: Oh, I see. Right.
HERBERT: But, Father!
FATHER: Shut your noise, you! And get that suit on! And no singing!
GUARD #2: Hic!
FATHER: Oh, go get a glass of water.


Scene 27


 
LAUNCELOT: Well taken, Concorde!
CONCORDE: Thank you, sir! Most kind.
LAUNCELOT: And again... Over we go! Good. Steady! And now, the big
one...Ooof! Come on, Concorde!
[thwonk]
CONCORDE: Message for you, sir.
[fwump]
LAUNCELOT: Concorde! Concorde, speak to me! "To whoever finds this
note, I have been imprisoned by my father, who wishes me to marry
against my will. Please, please, please come and rescue me. I am
in the tall tower of Swamp Castle." At last! A call, a cry of
distress! This could be the sign that leads us to the Holy Grail!
Brave, brave Concorde! You shall not have died in vain!
CONCORDE: Uh, I'm-I'm not quite dead, sir.
LAUNCELOT: Well, you shall not have been mortally wounded in vain!
CONCORDE: Uh, I-I think uh, I could pull through, sir.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, I see.
CONCORDE: Actually, I think I'm all right to come with you--
LAUNCELOT: No, no, sweet Concorde! Stay here! I will send help as
soon as I have accomplished a daring and heroic rescue in my own
particular... (sigh)
CONCORDE: Idiom, sir?
LAUNCELOT: Idiom!
CONCORDE: No, I feel fine, actually, sir.
LAUNCELOT: Farewell, sweet Concorde!
CONCORDE: I'll-uh, I'll just stay here, then, shall I, sir? Yeah.


Scene 28


 
LAUNCELOT: Ha-ha! etc.
GUARD #1: Now, you're not allowed to come in here, and we're-ugh!
LAUNCELOT: O fair one, behold your humble servant Sir Launcelot
of Camelot. I have come to take -- oh, I'm terribly sorry.
HERBERT: You got my note!
LAUNCELOT: Uh, well, I got A note.
HERBERT: You've come to rescue me!
LAUNCELOT: Uh, well, no, you see...
HERBERT: I knew that someone would, I knew that somewhere out there...
there must be...
[music]
...someone...
FATHER: Stop that, stop that, stop it! Stop it! Who are you?
HERBERT: I'm your son!
FATHER: No, not you.
LAUNCELOT: I'm Sir Launcelot, sir.
HERBERT: He's come to rescue me, father.
LAUNCELOT: Well, let's not jump to conclusions.
FATHER: Did you kill all the guard?
LAUNCELOT: Uh..., oh, yes. Sorry.
FATHER: They cost fifty pounds each.
LAUNCELOT: Well, I'm awfully sorry, I'm -- I really can explain everything.
HERBERT: Don't be afraid of him, Sir Launcelot, I've got a rope all ready!
FATHER: You killed eight wedding guests in all!
LAUNCELOT: Well, you see, the thing is, I thought your son was a lady.
FATHER: I can understand that.
HERBERT: Hurry, Sir Launcelot! Hurry!
FATHER: Shut up! You only killed the bride's father, that's all!
LAUNCELOT: Well, I really didn't mean to...
FATHER: Didn't mean to?! You put your sword right through his head!
LAUNCELOT: Oh, dear. Is he all right?
FATHER: You even kicked the bride in the chest! This is going to cost
me a fortune!
LAUNCELOT: Well, I can explain. I was in the forest, um, riding north
from Camelot, when I got this note, you see--
FATHER: Camelot? Are you from, uh, Camelot?
HERBERT: Hurry, Sir Launcelot!
LAUNCELOT: Uh, I am a Knight of King Arthur, sir.
FATHER: Pretty nice castle, Camelot. Uh, pretty good pig country....
LAUNCELOT: Yes.
HERBERT: Hurry, I'm ready!
FATHER: Would you, uh, like to come and have a drink?
LAUNCELOT: Well, that's, uh, awfully nice of you.
HERBERT: I am ready!
[starts to leave]
LAUNCELOT: --I mean to be, so understanding.
[thonk]
HERBERT: Oooh!
LAUNCELOT: Um, I think when I'm in this idiom, I sometimes get a bit,
uh, sort of carried away.
FATHER: Oh, don't worry about that.
HERBERT: Oooh!
[splat]


Scene 29


 
[wailing]
FATHER: Well, this is the main hall. We're going to have all this
knocked through, and made into one big, uh, living room.
RANDOM: There he is!
FATHER: Oh, bloody hell.
LAUNCELOT: Ha-ha! etc.
FATHER: Hold it, hold it! Please!
LAUNCELOT: Sorry, sorry. See what I mean, I just get carried away.
I really must -- sorry, sorry! Sorry, everyone.
RANDOM: He's killed the best man!
[yelling]
FATHER: Hold it, please! Hold it! This is Sir Launcelot from the
court of Camelot -- a very brave and influential knight, and my special
guest here today.
LAUNCELOT: Hello.
RANDOM: He killed my auntie!
[yelling]
FATHER: Please, please! This is supposed to be a happy occasion!
Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who. We are here today to
witness the union of two young people in the joyful bond of the holy
wedlock. Unfortunately, one of them, my son Herbert, has just fallen
to his death. But I think I've not lost a son, so much as... gained
a daughter! For, since the tragic death of her father--
RANDOM: He's not quite dead!
FATHER: Since the near fatal wounding of her father--
RANDOM: He's getting better!
FATHER: For, since her own father... who, when he seemed about to
recover, suddenly felt the icy hand of death upon him,...
[ugh]
RANDOM: Oh, he's died!
FATHER: And I want his only daughter to look upon me... as her own
dad -- in a very real, and legally binding sense.
[clapping]
And I feel sure that the merger -- uh, the union -- between the
Princess and the brave, but dangerous, Sir Launcelot of Camelot...
LAUNCELOT: What?
RANDOM: Look! The dead Prince!
CONCORDE: He's not quite dead!
HERBERT: Oh, I feel much better.
FATHER: You fell out of the tower, you creep!
HERBERT: No, I was saved at the last minute.
FATHER: How?!
HERBERT: Well, I'll tell you...
[music]
FATHER: Not like that! Not like that! No, stop it!
SINGING: He's going to tell! He's going to tell!
FATHER: Shut up!
SINGING: He's going to tell! He's going to tell!
He's going to tell! He's going to tell!
He's going to tell! He's going to tell!
He's going to tell! He's going to tell!
CONCORDE: Quickly, sir! This way!
LAUNCELOT: No, it's not in my idiom! I must escape more....(sigh)
CONCORDE: Dramatically, sir?
LAUNCELOT: Dramatically! Hee! Ha!
[crash]
Excuse me, could, uh, could somebody give me a push, please...?


Scene 30


 
[clop clop]
ARTHUR: Old crone! Is there anywhere in this town where we could buy
a shrubbery!
[dramatic chord]
CRONE: Who sent you?
ARTHUR: The Knights Who Say Nee.
CRONE: Agh! No! Never! We have no shrubberies here.
ARTHUR: If you do not tell us where we can buy a shrubbery, my friend
and I will say... we will say... `nee'.
CRONE: Agh! Do your worst!
ARTHUR: Very well! If you will not assist us voluntarily,... nee!
CRONE: No! Never! No shrubberies!
ARTHUR: Nee!
BEDEMIR: Noo! Noo!
ARTHUR: No, no, no, no -- it's not that, it's 'nee'.
BEDEMIR: Noo!
ARTHUR: No, no -- 'nee'. You're not doing it properly.
BEDEMIR: Noo! Nee!
ARTHUR: That's it, that's it, you've got it.
ARTHUR and BEDEMIR: Nee! Nee!
ROGER: Are you saying 'nee' to that old woman?
ARTHUR: Um, yes.
ROGER: Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say `nee'
at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing
is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under
considerable economic stress at this period in history.
ARTHUR: Did you say `shrubberies'?
ROGER: Yes, shrubberies are my trade -- I am a shrubber. My name
is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.
BEDEMIR: Nee!
ARTHUR: No! No, no, no! No!


Scene 31


 
ARTHUR: O, Knights of Nee, we have brought you your shrubbery. May we
go now?
HEAD KNIGHT: It is a good shrubbery. I like the laurels particularly.
But there is one small problem.
ARTHUR: What is that?
HEAD KNIGHT: We are now... no longer the Knights Who Say Nee.
RANDOM: Nee!
HEAD KNIGHT: Shh shh. We are now the Knights Who Say Ecky-ecky-ecky-
ecky-pikang-zoom-boing-mumble-mumble.
RANDOM: Nee!
HEAD KNIGHT: Therefore, we must give you a test.
ARTHUR: What is this test, O Knights of-- Knights Who 'Til Recently
Said Nee?
HEAD KNIGHT: Firstly, you must find... another shrubbery!
[dramatic chord]
ARTHUR: Not another shrubbery!
HEAD KNIGHT: Then, when you have found the shrubbery, you must place
it here beside this shrubbery, only slightly higher so you get a
two-level effect with a little path running down the middle.
RANDOM: A path! A path! Nee!
HEAD KNIGHT: Then, when you have found the shrubbery, you must cut
down the mightiest tree in the forest... with... a herring!
[dramatic chord]
ARTHUR: We shall do no such thing!
HEAD KNIGHT: Oh, please!
ARTHUR: Cut down a tree with a herring? It can't be done.
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh! Aaaugh!
HEAD KNIGHT: Don't say that word.
ARTHUR: What word?
HEAD KNIGHT: I cannot tell, suffice to say is one of the words
the Knights of Nee cannot hear.
ARTHUR: How can we not say the word if you don't tell us what it is?
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh! Aaaugh!
ARTHUR: What, `is'?
HEAD KNIGHT: No, not `is' -- we couldn't get vary far in life not
saying `is'.
BEDEMIR: My liege, it's Sir Robin!
MINSTREL (singing): Packing it in and packing it up
And sneaking away and buggering up
And chickening out and pissing about
Yes, bravely he is throwing in the sponge
ARTHUR: Oh, Robin!
ROBIN: My liege! It's good to see you!
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh!
HEAD KNIGHT: He said the word!
ARTHUR: Surely you've not given up your quest for the Holy Grail?
MINSTREL (singing): He is sneaking away and buggering up--
ROBIN: Shut up! No, no no-- far from it.
HEAD KNIGHT: He said the word again!
ROBIN: I was looking for it.
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh!
ROBIN: Uh, here, here in this forest.
ARTHUR: No, it is far from--
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh!
HEAD KNIGHT: Aaaaugh! Stop saying the word!
ARTHUR: Oh, stop it!
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh!
HEAD KNIGHT: Oh! He said it again!
ARTHUR: Patsy!
HEAD KNIGHT: Aaugh! I said it! I said it! Ooh! I said it again!
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh!


Narrative Interlude 3


 
NARRATOR: And so Arthur and Bedemir and Sir Robin set out on their
search to find the enchanter of whom the old man had spoken in Scene 24.
Beyond the forest they met Launcelot and Galahad, and there was much
rejoicing.
ALL: Yay! Yay!
NARRATOR: In the frozen land of Nador they were forced to eat Robin's
minstrels. And there was much rejoicing.
ALL: Yay!
NARRATOR: A year passed. Winter changed into Spring. Spring changed
into Summer. Summer changed back into Winter. And Winter gave Spring
and Summer a miss and went straight on into Autumn. Until one day...


Scene 32


 
ARTHUR: Knights! Forward!
[boom boom boom boom BOOM boom boom boom boom]
What manner of man are you that can summon up fire without flint
or tinder?
TIM: I... am an enchanter.
ARTHUR: By what name are you known?
TIM: There are some who call me... Tim?
ARTHUR: Greetings, Tim the Enchanter.
TIM: Greetings, King Arthur!
ARTHUR: You know my name?
TIM: I do.
[zoosh]
You seek the Holy Grail!
ARTHUR: That is our quest. You know much that is hidden, O Tim.
TIM: Quite.
[pweeng boom]
[clap clap clap]
ARTHUR: Yes, we're, we're looking for the Grail. Our quest is to find
the Holy Grail.
KNIGHTS: It is, yes, yup, yes, yeah.
ARTHUR: And so we're, we're, we're, we're looking for it.
KNIGHTS: Yes we are we are.
BEDEMIR: We have been for some time.
ROBIN: Ages.
ARTHUR: Uh, so, uh, anything you can do to, uh, to help, would be...
very... helpful...
GALAHAD: Look, can you tell us wh-
[boom]
ARTHUR: Fine, um, I don't want to waste anymore of your time, but, uh
I don't suppose you could, uh, tell us where we might find a, um,
find a, uh, a, um, a uh--
TIM: A what...?
ARTHUR: A g--, a g--
TIM: A Grail?!
ARTHUR: Yes, I think so.
KNIGHTS: Yes, that's it. Yes.
TIM: Yes!
KNIGHTS: Oh, thank you, splendid, fine.
[boom pweeng boom boom]
ARTHUR: Look, you're a busy man, uh--
TIM: Yes, I can help you find the Holy Grail.
KNIGHTS: Oh, thank you.
TIM: To the north there lies a cave -- the cave of Kyre Banorg --
wherein, carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last
words of Ulfin Bedweer of Regett [boom] proclaim the last resting
place of the most Holy Grail.
ARTHUR: Where could we find this cave, O Tim?
TIM: Follow! But! follow only if ye be men of valor, for the entrance
to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel that no man
yet has fought with it and lived! Bones of four fifty men lie strewn
about its lair. So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or
your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty
big pointy teeth.
ARTHUR: What an eccentric performance.


Scene 33


 
[clop clop whinny]
KNIGHT: They're nervous, sire.
ARTHUR: Then we'd best leave them here and carry on on foot. Dis-mount!
TIM: Behold the cave of Kyre Banorg!
ARTHUR: Right! Keep me covered.
KNIGHT: What with?
ARTHUR: Just keep me covered.
TIM: Too late!
[chord]
ARTHUR: What?
TIM: There he is!
ARTHUR: Where?
TIM: There!
ARTHUR: What, behind the rabbit?
TIM: It is the rabbit!
ARTHUR: You silly sod! You got us all worked up!
TIM: Well, that's no ordinary rabbit. That's the most foul, cruel,
and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on.
ROBIN: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
TIM: Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide, it's a
killer!
KNIGHT: Get stuffed!
TIM: It'll do you a trick, mate!
KNIGHT: Oh, yeah?
ROBIN: You mangy Scot git!
TIM: I'm warning you!
ROBIN: What's he do, nibble your bum?
TIM: He's got huge, sharp-- he can leap about-- look at the bones!
ARTHUR: Go on, Boris. Chop his head off!
BORIS: Right! Silly little bleeder. One rabbit stew comin' right up!
TIM: Look!
[squeak]
BORIS: Aaaugh!
[chord]
ARTHUR: Jesus Christ!
TIM: I warned you!
ROBIN: I peed again!
TIM: I warned you! But did you listen to me? Oh, no, you knew it all,
didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it? Well,
it's always the same, I always--
ARTHUR: Oh, shut up!
TIM: --But do they listen to me?--
ARTHUR: Right!
TIM: -Oh, no--
KNIGHTS: Charge!
[squeak squeak]
KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh! Aaaugh! etc.
KNIGHTS: Run away! Run away!
TIM: Haw haw haw. Haw haw haw. Haw haw.
ARTHUR: Right. How many did we lose?
KNIGHT: Gawain.
KNIGHT: Hector.
ARTHUR: And Boris. That's five.
GALAHAD: Three, sir.
ARTHUR: Three. Three. And we'd better not risk another frontal
assault, that rabbit's dynamite.
ROBIN: Would it help to confuse it if we run away more?
ARTHUR: Oh, shut up and go and change your armor.
GALAHAD: Let us taunt it! It may become so cross that it will make
a mistake.
ARTHUR: Like what?
GALAHAD: Well,....
ARTHUR: Have we got bows?
KNIGHT: No.
LAUNCELOT: We have the Holy Hand Grenade.
ARTHUR: Yes, of course! The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch! 'Tis one
of the sacred relics Brother Maynard carries with him! Brother Maynard!
Bring up the Holy Hand Grenade!
[singing]
How does it, uh... how does it work?
KNIGHT: I know not, my liege.
ARTHUR: Consult the Book of Armaments!
MAYNARD: Armaments, Chapter Two, Verses Nine to Twenty-One.
BROTHER: "And Saint Atila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying,
'Oh, Lord, bless this thy hand grenade that with it thou mayest blow
thy enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and
people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies,
and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large --"
MAYNARD: Skip a bit, Brother.
BROTHER: "And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the
Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three
shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting
shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two,
excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once
the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou
thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty
in my sight, shall snuff it.'"
MAYNARD: Amen.
ALL: Amen.
ARTHUR: Right! One... two... five!
KNIGHT: Three, sir!
ARTHUR: Three!
[boom]


Scene 34


 
KNIGHT: There! Look!
LAUNCELOT: What does it say?
GALAHAD: What language is that?
ARTHUR: Brother Maynard, you're our scholar!
MAYNARD: It's Aramaic!
GALAHAD: Of course! Joseph of Aramathea!
LAUNCELOT: Course!
KNIGHT: What does it say?
MAYNARD: It reads, 'Here may be found the last words of Joseph of
Aramathea. He who is valiant and pure of spirit may find the Holy Grail
in the Castle of uuggggggh'.
ARTHUR: What?
MAYNARD: '... the Castle of uuggggggh'.
BEDEMIR: What is that?
MAYNARD: He must have died while carving it.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, come on!
MAYNARD: Well, that's what it says.
ARTHUR: Look, if he was dying, he wouldn't bother to carve 'aaggggh'.
He'd just say it!
MAYNARD: Well, that's what's carved in the rock!
GALAHAD: Perhaps he was dictating.
ARTHUR: Oh, shut up. Well, does it say anything else?
MAYNARD: No. Just, 'uuggggggh'.
LAUNCELOT: Aauuggghhh.
KNIGHT: Aaauggh.
BEDEMIR: You don't suppose he meant the Camauuuugh?
KNIGHT: Where's that?
BEDEMIR: France, I think.
LAUNCELOT: Isn't there a Saint Aauuuves in Cornwall?
ARTHUR: No, that's Saint Ives.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, yes. Saint Iiiives.
SEVERAL: Iiiiives.
BEDEMIR: Oooohoohohooo!
LAUNCELOT: No, no, aauuuuugh, at the back of the throat. Aauuugh.
BEDEMIR: No, no, no, oooooooh, in surprise and alarm.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, you mean sort of a aaaagh!
BEDEMIR: Yes, but I-- Aaaaagh!
KNIGHT: Oooh!
KNIGHT: Oh, no!
[roar]
MAYNARD: It's the legendary Black Beast of aaauuugh!
ARTHUR: Run away!
ALL: Run away! Run away!
[roar]
NARRATOR: As the horrendous Black Beast lunged forward, escape
for Arthur and his knights seemed hopeless. When, suddenly, the
animator suffered a fatal heart attack. [ulk] The cartoon peril
was no more. The Quest for the Holy Grail could continue.


Scene 35


 
ARTHUR: There it is! The Bridge of Death!
ROBIN: Oh, great.
KNIGHT: Look!
ARTHUR: There's the old man from Scene 24!
BEDEMIR: What is he doing here?
ARTHUR: He is the keeper of the Bridge of Death. He asks each
traveller five questions--
KNIGHT: Three questions.
ARTHUR: Three questions. He who answers the five questions--
KNIGHT: Three questions.
ARTHUR: Three questions may cross in safety.
ROBIN: What if you get a question wrong?
ARTHUR: Then you are cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril.
ROBIN: Oh, I won't go.
KNIGHT: Who's going to answer the questions?
ARTHUR: Sir Robin!
ROBIN: Yes?
ARTHUR: Brave Sir Robin, you go.
ROBIN: Hey! I've got a great idea. Why doesn't Launcelot go?
LAUNCELOT: Yes, let me go, my liege. I will take him single-handed.
I shall make a feint to the north-east--
ARTHUR: No, no, hang on, hang on, hang on! Just answer the five
questions--
KNIGHT: Three questions.
ARTHUR: Three questions as best you can. And we shall watch... and
pray.
LAUNCELOT: I understand, my liege.
ARTHUR: Good luck, brave Sir Launcelot. God be with you.
KEEPER: Stop! Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me
these questions three, 'ere the other side he see.
LAUNCELOT: Ask me the questions, bridge-keeper. I'm not afraid.
KEEPER: What is your name?
LAUNCELOT: My name is Sir Launcelot of Camelot.
KEEPER: What is your quest?
LAUNCELOT: To seek the Holy Grail.
KEEPER: What is your favorite color?
LAUNCELOT: Blue.
KEEPER: Right. Off you go.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.
ROBIN: That's easy!
KEEPER: Stop! Who approaches the Bridge of Death must answer me
these questions three, 'ere the other side he see.
ROBIN: Ask me the questions, bridge-keeper. I'm not afraid.
KEEPER: What is your name?
ROBIN: Sir Robin of Camelot.
KEEPER: What is your quest?
ROBIN: To seek the Holy Grail.
KEEPER: What is the capital of Assyria?
ROBIN: I don't know that! Auuuuuuuugh!
KEEPER: Stop! What is your name?
GALAHAD: Sir Galahad of Camelot.
KEEPER: What is your quest?
GALAHAD: I seek the Holy Grail.
KEEPER: What is your favorite color?
GALAHAD: Blue. No yel-- Auuuuuuuugh!
KEEPER: Heh heh. Stop! What is your name?
ARTHUR: It is Arthur, King of the Britons.
KEEPER: What is your quest?
ARTHUR: To seek the Holy Grail.
KEEPER: What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
ARTHUR: What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
KEEPER: What? I don't know that! Auuuuuuuugh!
BEDEMIR: How do know so much about swallows?
ARTHUR: Well, you have to know these things when you're a king you know.


Scene 36


 
ARTHUR: Launcelot! Launcelot! Launcelot!
BEDEMIR: Launcelot! Launcelot!
ARTHUR: Launcelot! Launcelot!
BEDEMIR: Launcelot! Launcelot!
[angels singing]
ARTHUR: The Castle Aggh. Our quest is at an end! God be praised!
Almighty God, we thank Thee that Thou hast [something] safe
[something] the most-
[twong baaaa]
Jesus Christ!
GUARD: 'Allo, daffy English kaniggets and Monsieur Arthur-King, who
is afraid of a duck, you know! So, we French fellows out-wit you a
second time!
ARTHUR: How dare you profane this place with your presence!? I command
you, in the name of the Knights of Camelot, to open the doors of this
sacred castle, to which God himself has guided us!
GUARD: How you English say, I one more time-a unclog my nose in your
direction, sons of a window-dresser! So, you think you could
out-clever us French folk with your silly knees-bent running about
advancing behavior! I wave my private parts at your aunties, you
heaving lot of second-hand electric donkey bottom biters.
ARTHUR: In the name of the Lord, we demand entrance to this sacred
castle!
GUARD: No chance, English bedwetting types. I burst my pimples at you
and call your daughter an unrequested silly thing. You tiny-brained
wipers of other people's bottoms!
ARTHUR: If you do not open this door, we shall take this castle by
force!
[splat]
In the name of God and the glory of our--
[splat]
Right! That settles it!
GUARD: Yes, this time and try
any more or we fire arrows at the tops of your heads
and make castanets out of your testicles already! Ha ha!
ARTHUR: Walk away. Just ignore them.
GUARD: No, remain you illegitimate faced buggerfuls! And, if you think
you got nasty taunting this time, you ain't heard nothing yet! Daffy
English kaniggets! Thpppt!
ARTHUR: We shall attack at once!
BEDEMIR: Yes, my liege!
ARTHUR: Stand by for attack!

[Continue reading...]



 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






 






THE END.


 
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Old 12-20-2007, 02:09 AM   #47
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I actually started reading the monty ptyhon thing

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 04:34 AM   #48
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this place is so negative.

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 06:30 AM   #49
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Andy Slash is really long winded.

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 06:30 AM   #50
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Boring old fart.

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 06:31 AM   #51
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Naw, I don't mean it. Reading monty python made me think like that.

 
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Old 12-20-2007, 09:55 AM   #52
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlasgowKiss
Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlasgowKiss
Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlasgowKiss
Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.
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Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.Dorset
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For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation).
Dorset
Motto of County Council: Who's a'feard
Image:EnglandDorset.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 20th
2,653 km² (1,024.3 sq mi)
Ranked 21st
2,542 km² (981.5 sq mi)
Admin HQ Dorchester
ISO 3166-2 GB-DOR
ONS code 19
NUTS 3 UKK22
Demography
Population
- Total (2005)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 32nd
701,100
265/km² (686.3/sq mi)
Ranked 32nd
403,000
Ethnicity 98.1% White
Politics
Arms of Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament

* Annette Brooke (LD)
* John Butterfill (C)
* Christopher Chope (C)
* Tobias Ellwood (C)
* Jim Knight (L)
* Oliver Letwin (C)
* Robert Syms (C)
* Robert Walter (C)

Districts

1. Weymouth and Portland
2. West Dorset
3. North Dorset
4. Purbeck
5. East Dorset
6. Christchurch
7. Bournemouth (Unitary)
8. Poole (Unitary)

Neighbouring counties are (A–D): Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire

Dorset (pronounced IPA: /ˈdɔːsɪt/) (or archaically, Dorsetshire), is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at [show location on an interactive map] 50°43′00″N, 02°26′00″W. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 80 kilometres (50 mi) from east to west and 64 km (40 mi) north to south, and has an area of 2,652 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Around half of Dorset's population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation. The rest of the county is largely rural with a relatively low population density. Dorset's motto is 'Who's Afear'd'.

Dorset is famous for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which features landforms such as Lulworth Cove, the Isle of Portland, Chesil Beach and Durdle Door, as well as the holiday resorts of Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, and Lyme Regis. Dorset is the setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who was born near Dorchester. The county has a long history of human settlement and some notable archaeology, including the hill forts of Maiden Castle and Hod Hill.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Physical geography
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Politics
* 5 Economy and industry
* 6 Education
* 7 Culture
* 8 Settlements and communications
* 9 See also
* 10 References and notes
* 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: 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, there are 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 notable Roman artefacts, 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 fourth 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 nineteenth 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 Mediaeval times, the remaining hilltop settlements shrank further and disappeared. From the Tudor to Georgian periods, farms specialised and the monastic estates were broken 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.

[edit] Physical geography

Main article: Geology of Dorset

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which have been cleared of the native forest and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas ******* a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They ******* the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very non-resistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, one of several worldwide which claim to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (8 km/5 mi), ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.
Durdle Door natural arch
Durdle Door natural arch

Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo. One of the best ways to explore the Jurassic Coast is to follow the South West Coast Path National Trail that runs along it.

In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begins to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 metres (915 ft). Lewesdon is also a Marilyn.

The county has the highest proportion of conservation areas in England— including an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (44% of the whole county),[2] a World Heritage Site (114 km/71 mi),[3] two Heritage Coasts (92 km/57 mi)[3] and Sites of Special Scientific interest (199.45 km²/49,285 acres).[4]
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline
Lulworth Cove, an example of a cove on a concordant coastline

The climate of Dorset has warm summers and mild winters, being the third most southern county in the UK, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms that Cornwall and Devon experience. Dorset shares the greater winter warmth of the south-west (average 4.5 to 8.7 °C or 40° to 48°F),[5] while still maintaining higher summer temperatures than that of Devon and Cornwall (average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C or 66° to 72°F).[6] The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (50°–54°F), apart from the Dorset Downs.[7] In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows.

The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1541–1885 hours.[8] Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive as little as 741 mm (29.2 in) per year, while the Dorset Downs receive between 1,061 and 1,290 mm (41.7–50.8 in) per year; less than Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east.[9]

[edit] Demographics
Poole Quay
Poole Quay

Dorset has a population of 407,217, plus 165,370 in Bournemouth and 137,562 in Poole (total 710,149—mid-year estimates for 2006). The following statistics exclude Poole and Bournemouth, which are no longer part of the administrative county.

91.3% of Dorset's population were born in England and 95.2% were born in the United Kingdom. 98.8% are indigenous, an extreme example of the disproportionately small ethnic minority population in rural areas. 78% of the population are Christian and 13.7% are not religious.

Dorset has the second highest proportion of elderly people of any county in Britain, second only to East Sussex, 25.9% of the population are over 65 and 13.9% of the 16–74 age range are retired. The county has the lowest birth rate of the 34 English counties, at 9.6 births per 1000. It has the third highest mortality rate, behind East Sussex and Devon. In 1996 deaths exceeded births by 1,056, giving a natural population decline of 2.7 per 1000, however, in 1997 there were 7,200 migrants moving to Dorset and the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, giving Dorset the second highest net population growth, behind Cambridgeshire, at 17.3%.[10][11]

[edit] Politics

Dorset County Council is based at County Hall in Dorchester. Following the local council elections in May 2005, 24 Conservative, 16 Liberal Democrat, four Labour and one independent councillor sit on the county council. All Labour councillors were elected in the built up area of Weymouth and Portland; rural areas elected Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors.

This pattern is repeated at the national level. South Dorset is represented in Parliament by Labour MP Jim Knight, though this constituency was Labour's smallest majority and was one of the most fiercely contested seats in the General Election of 2005.[12] In the event, the seat went against the national trend and Mr Knight's majority increased slightly on a swing from the Conservatives.[13] In all other Dorset constituencies, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are the most successful parties: Mid-Dorset and North Poole is represented by the Liberal Democrats, and West Dorset, Christchurch and North Dorset by the Conservatives.

The built up area of Poole and Bournemouth is divided into three constituencies, Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West and Poole, all of which are currently represented by Conservative MPs. Dorset, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[14]

[edit] Economy and industry
Abbotsbury Great Barn
Abbotsbury Great Barn

In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth.[15] 4% of GVA was produced by primary industry, 26% from secondary industry and 70% from tertiary industry. The average GVA for the 12 statistics regions of South West England was £6,257 million. Using 2004 population estimates, the GVA per person was £6,671 for Dorset, £15,683 for Poole and Bournemouth, £15,235 for the South West and £16,100 for the UK.

The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer for many decades as mechanisation has substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Between 1995 and 2003 GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture with some fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 to 188 million—7.1% to 4.0% of the county's GVA. In 2002, 1,903 km² (735 sq mi) of the county was in agricultural use, down from 1,986 km² (767 sq mi) in 1989, although the figure has fluctuated somewhat. Cattle, the principal animal stock in the county, fell from 240,413 to 178,328 in the same period, the dairy herds falling from 102,589 to 73,476. Sheep and pig farming has declined similarly.

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust employs around 2,500 multi-disciplinary staff; the majority at the 500-bed Dorset County Hospital which provides a turnover of £76 million.[16] This new hospital was a larger replacement for the now closed Dorchester Hospital.

One of Dorset's famous products is the Dorset Knob, a hard biscuit. It can be used as an accompaniment to cheese, especially the local Dorset cheese, Blue Vinney.

Tourism has grown as an industry in Dorset since the early 19th century. 4.2 million British tourists and 260,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2002, spending a combined total of £768 million. Foreign tourism declined in 1999 (310,000, down from 410,000 in 1998), and again in 2002 (down from 320,000), the latter decline being blamed on the effects of the global economy and security.

Dorset has little manufacturing industry, at 14.6% of employment (compared to 18.8% for the UK), and is ranked 30th out the 34 non-metropolitan English counties. The gross domestic product for the county is 84% that of the national average.

Dorset will host the only Olympic event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held outside London – sailing – at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Portland Harbour. Weymouth and Portland's waters have been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.[17]

[edit] Education
% GCSE results by district council[18] District Council ↓ % with 5 grades A*–C ↓
Bournemouth UA 43.6
Christchurch 48.5
North Dorset 49.3
Poole UA 52.0
Purbeck 49.0
West Dorset 53.8
Weymouth and Portland 39.6

Dorset LEA has a comprehensive system, with 20 state and 9 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth LEA has 10 state and 2 independent secondary schools, and Poole has 8 state and 2 independent secondary schools. Bournemouth and Poole have two selective schools each. West Dorset has the biggest school population - almost twice that of any other district. School year sizes are around 200, and all three schools in the Weymouth and Portland district do not have a sixth form, as does one school in the North Dorset district. Purbeck and East Dorset districts only have two schools. In England in 2006 at GCSE, 45.8% of pupils gained 5 grades A-C including English and Maths; for Dorset's 4600 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 50.0%. The best school at GCSE is the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester with 76%, which has the largest school year size of almost 500, followed by the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis with 61%. The worst is the Grange School in Christchurch with 30%, although four schools in Bournemouth and two in Poole get lower results. At A-level, the best school in Dorset LEA is the Thomas Hardye School, again followed by the Woodroffe School, with the best school in the LEA's geographic area being Sherborne School For Girls, closely followed by Sherborne School, both independent schools. An independent school in Bournemouth gets better results than both of the Sherborne schools, as also does one in Poole. However, the best school of all types at A-level including Bournemouth and Poole, is the Parkstone Grammar School, followed by the Poole Grammar School - Poole's two grammar schools. Overall at A-level, Dorset performs under the England average, with Poole performing averagely, but Bournemouth gets overall results well above the England average, and one of the highest for an English LEA, even though at GCSE it performs under the England average.

[edit] Culture
Cerne Abbas Manor House
Cerne Abbas Manor House

As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre ******* Poole Borough Council's Lighthouse arts centre, Bournemouth's BIC and Pavilion Theatre, Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre, and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. Dorset's most famous cultural institution is perhaps the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1893 and now one of the country's most celebrated orchestras. Dorset is not especially famous in sport, though Football League One A.F.C. Bournemouth, Conference National Weymouth F.C., and minor county cricket club Dorset CCC play in the county. The county is notable for its watersports, however, which take advantage of the sheltered waters of Weymouth and Poole bays, and Poole and Portland Harbours.

Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy, and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset. The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage, in woodland east of Dorchester, and Max Gate, his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who lived in Stalbridge for a time; Ian Fleming (James Bond), who boarded at Durnford School, poet William Barnes; Theodore Francis Powys; John le Carré, author of espionage novels; P.D. James (Children of Men); satirical novelist Thomas Love Peacock; John Fowles (The French Lieutenant's Woman), lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; John Cowper Powys, who set a number of his most famous novels in Dorset and Somerset; and Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde while living in Bournemouth.

Dorset is also the birthplace of artist Sir James Thornhill, musicians P.J. Harvey and Robert Fripp, photographer Jane Bown, palaeontologist Mary Anning and archbishops John Morton and William Wake. Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh lived in Dorset for some of his life, while scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle lived in Stalbridge Manor for a time. Dorset is a popular home for celebrities. Those who have moved to or own second homes in Dorset ******* Madonna and Guy Ritchie, actor Martin Clunes, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Jonathan Ross, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher and footballer Jamie Redknapp.[19] Many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's television programmes are filmed at his home, just outside of Bridport. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web lived in Colehill near Wimborne. Classical composer Muzio Clementi lived and worked near Blandford in Dorset.

[edit] Settlements and communications

Main articles: List of places in Dorset and Transport in Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Fortuneswell and Chesil Beach
Weymouth Promenade
Weymouth Promenade

Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns, and no cities. The largest conurbation is the South East Dorset conurbation which consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port of Poole and the town of Christchurch plus many villages. Bournemouth was created in the Victorian era when sea bathing became popular. As an example of how affluent the area has become, Sandbanks in Poole was worthless land unwanted by farmers in the nineteenth century, but is said to be amongst the highest land values by area in the world.[20] Bournemouth and Christchurch were added to the county from Hampshire in the county boundary changes of 1974.

The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, (the county town), and Weymouth, one of the first tourist towns, frequented by George III, and still very popular today.

Blandford Forum, Sherborne, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historical market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale (Hardy's Vale of the Little Dairies). Blandford is home to the Badger brewery of Hall and Woodhouse. Bridport, Lyme Regis, Wareham and Wimborne Minster are also market towns. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists.

Still in construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury, commissioned and co-designed by Prince Charles. The suburb is designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development.

Dorset is connected to London by two main railway lines. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. The South Western Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs from Weymouth to Bristol. Dorset is one of only four non metropolitan counties in England not to have a single motorway. The A303, A31 and A35 trunk roads run through the county. The only passenger airport in the county is Bournemouth International Airport, and there are two passenger sea ports, at Poole and Weymouth.

 
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Old 01-15-2008, 02:28 AM   #53
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