144-728: Lyme Regis ( / ˌ l aɪ m ˈ r iː dʒ ɪ s / LYME REE -jiss ) is a town in west Dorset , England, 25 miles (40 km) west of Dorchester and east of Exeter . Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset– Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Jurassic Coast , a World Heritage Site and heritage coast . The harbour wall, known as The Cobb, appears in Jane Austen 's novel Persuasion ,
288-544: A National Trail , begins at South Haven Point at the entrance to Poole Harbour. There are also substantial areas of green belt surrounding the South East Dorset conurbation , filling in the area between this and the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB. Dorset's climate of warm summers and mild winters is partly due to its position on Britain's south coast. The third most southerly county in
432-617: A Roman ruin described by Historic England as the "only Roman town house visible in Britain"; Athelhampton , a Tudor manor house; Forde Abbey , a stately home and former Cistercian monastery; Christchurch Priory , the longest church in England; and St Edwold's church , one of the smallest. Dorset hosts a number of annual festivals, fairs and events including the Great Dorset Steam Fair near Blandford, one of
576-456: A heathland habitat which sustains all six native British reptile species. Most of the Dorset heathland has Site of Special Scientific Interest status, with three areas designated as internationally important Ramsar sites . In the far west of the county and along the coast there are frequent changes in rock strata, which appear in a less obviously sequential way compared to the landscapes of
720-455: A registered charity runs courses in traditional boatbuilding and furniture making from its site at Monmouth Beach. There are two tiers of local government covering Lyme Regis, at parish (town) and unitary authority level: Lyme Regis Town Council and Dorset Council . The town council meets at the Guildhall on Bridge Street, which was completed in 1889. The town council's offices are at
864-567: A back tank for extra water storage in addition to the capacity of the side tanks. Valve gear was of modified Stephenson type. Production began in 1882 when a total of four engineering companies were contracted by the LSWR to construct the new class, which numbered 71 when production ceased in 1885. These were: Robert Stephenson & Co. (28 constructed); Dübs & Co. (20 constructed); Neilson & Co. (11 constructed) and finally Beyer, Peacock and Company (12 constructed). This arrangement
1008-594: A chalk downland. The highest point in Dorset is Lewesdon Hill (279 m (915 ft)), in the southwest. There is evidence of Neolithic , Celtic , and Roman settlement in Dorset, and during the Early Middle Ages the region was settled by the Saxons ; the county developed in the 7th century. The first recorded Viking raid on the British Isles occurred in Dorset during the eighth century, and
1152-506: A community based station. The town is served by the local newspaper, Bridport & Lyme Regis News . The Cobb featured in Jane Austen 's novel Persuasion (1818), and in the 1960 television miniseries , 1971 TV series , 1995 film , 2007 film and 2022 film based on the novel. The poet Tennyson is said to have gone straight to the Cobb on arrival, saying, "Show me the exact spot where Louisa Musgrove fell!". The Cobb also featured in
1296-655: A continuous sequence of Triassic , Jurassic and Cretaceous rock formations spanning some 185 million years of the Earth's history. Localities along the Jurassic Coast include a range of important fossil zones. The Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone geological formations host a multitude of remains from the Early Jurassic , from which epoch good fossil records are rare. Many remains are well preserved, including complete specimens of important species. Many of
1440-870: A firework display. A Christmas Tree Festival has more than 30 trees decorated and displayed in Lyme Regis Baptist Church. An Easter bonnet parade takes place in the town on Easter Sunday. A May Day fête features stalls and entertainment from various groups in Lyme. Lyme Regis is the home of B Sharp, a music charity for young people. It runs music workshops, performances and training, and signposts progression routes beyond B Sharp. It also runs an annual Busking Festival open to all performing artists, now in May, and an open air "Big Mix" festival in July to present music-making by young people. The Marine Theatre, operated by
1584-414: A great chasm more than 300 feet (91 m) across, 160 feet (49 m) deep and 0.75 miles (1.21 km) long was formed. The crops remained intact on the top of what became known as "Goat Island" among the newly formed gullies. On 3 February 1840 a smaller landslip occurred nearby. The phenomenon attracted many visitors, and farmers charged sixpence to view it. The area is now known as The Undercliff and
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#17327648820021728-568: A month, and was last used on 29 May 1943. These decreases in the class strength meant that only 30 locomotives entered into Southern Railway stock in 1923. The continued electrification and subsequent intensification of timetables meant that the remaining two members of the class still in service, numbers 0125 and 0520, were retired in 1929. The intention was to replace the class on the Lyme Regis branch with two ex- LB&SCR D1 class tanks, though these proved highly unsatisfactory. This led to
1872-406: A negative impact on the tourist trade, particularly when popular areas are closed for military manoeuvres. Other major employers in the county include: BAE Systems , Sunseeker International , J.P. Morgan , Cobham plc and Bournemouth University . Dorset's three ports, Poole, Weymouth and Portland , and the smaller harbours of Christchurch, Swanage, Lyme Regis, Wareham and West Bay generate
2016-454: A new Statue of Mary Anning was unveiled by Alice Roberts at the junction of Long Entry and Gun Cliff Walk. The statue was the result of a crowdfunded campaign ("Mary Anning Rocks") to commission and display a statue to the paleontologist Mary Anning in Lyme Regis. The museum stands on the site of Mary Anning 's birthplace and family shop off Bridge Street, holding a collection of local memorabilia, historical items and exhibits to explain
2160-577: A number of his works in Dorset, such as the novels Maiden Castle and Weymouth Sands . Children's author Enid Blyton drew inspiration for many of her works from Dorset. The 19th-century poet William Barnes was born in Bagber and wrote many poems in his native Dorset dialect . Originating from the ancient Norse and Saxon languages, the dialect was prevalent across the Blackmore Vale but has fallen into disuse. Dorset's flag , which
2304-437: A positive effect on local businesses and tourism. Tourism has grown in Dorset since the late 18th century and is now the predominant industry. It is estimated that 37,500 people work in Dorset's tourism sector. Some 3.2 million British and 326,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2008, staying a total of 15.1 million nights. In addition there were 14.6 million day visitors. The combined spending of both groups
2448-523: A professional or technical capacity (Standard Occupational Classification 2010, groups 1–3), just over 10.3% are administrators or secretaries (group 4), around 12.8% have a skilled trade (group 5), over 18% are employed at a low-level in the care, leisure, sales or customer relations sector (groups 6 and 7) and 14.8% are operatives or in elementary occupations (groups 8 and 9). Local government in Dorset consists of two unitary authorities (UA): Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council , which governs
2592-534: A result, two were allocated to Exmouth Junction shed for the Axminster to Lyme Regis service, joined in 1946 by a third example retrieved from the East Kent Railway. The class also saw service during World War I, which effectively extended their working lives until the mass withdrawal of 38 engines in 1921. Many of the class became surplus to requirements during the later years of the war. Several of
2736-829: A review by the Local Government Commission for England , Bournemouth and Poole each became administratively independent single-tier unitary authorities in 1997. For representation in Parliament Dorset is divided into eight Parliamentary constituencies—five county constituencies and three borough constituencies . At the 2017 general election , the Conservative Party was dominant, taking all eight seats. The borough constituencies of Bournemouth East , Bournemouth West and Poole were traditionally Conservative safe seats and were all represented by Conservative members of parliament until
2880-480: A seasonal service to the Channel Islands and St Malo , France. Poole and Portland harbours are capable of taking cruise liners. Bournemouth Airport , on the edge of Hurn village 6 kilometres (4 mi) north of Bournemouth, has scheduled and charter flights. Morebus and Damory provide a county wide bus network with frequent services linking major towns, including Bournemouth, Poole and Wimborne, and
3024-566: A service for those who live in the western districts of Dorset. The South West Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs north from Weymouth to Bristol and the Swanage Railway , a heritage steam and diesel railway , runs the 10 kilometres (6 mi) between Norden and Swanage. Dorset
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#17327648820023168-488: A shape of a demi-lune, with a bar in the middle of the concave: no one stone that lies there was ever touched with a tool or bedded in any sort of cement, but all the pebbles of the see are piled up, and held by their bearings only, and the surge plays in and out through the interstices of the stone in a wonderful manner." The Cobb wall provides a breakwater to shield the town from storms and separate Monmouth and Cobb Gate beaches. The Cobb had economic importance in and around
3312-726: A ship from Gascony . The disease, more commonly known as the Black Death , created an epidemic that spread rapidly and wiped out a third of the population of the country. Dorset came under the political influence of a number of different nobles during the Middle Ages. During the Wars of the Roses, for instance, Dorset came into the area influenced by Humphrey Stafford, earl of Devon (originally of Hooke , Dorset) whose wider influence stretched from Cornwall to Wiltshire. After 1485, one of
3456-423: A substantial amount of international trade and tourism. Around 230 fishing vessels that predominantly catch crab and lobster are based in Dorset's ports. When the waters around Weymouth and Portland were chosen for the sailing events in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games , the area underwent an increased investment in infrastructure and a growth in the marine leisure sector. It is expected that this will continue to have
3600-659: A trend reflected throughout the UK. Manufacturing industry in Dorset provided 10.3% of employment in 2008. This was slightly above the average for Great Britain but below that of the South West region which was at 10.7% for that period. The sector is the county's fourth largest employer, but a predicted decline suggests there will be 10,200 fewer jobs in manufacturing by 2026. As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre include
3744-543: A varied landscape of chalk downs , steep limestone ridges, and low-lying clay valleys. The majority of its coastline is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site due to its geological and palaeontologic significance, and features notable landforms such as Lulworth Cove , the Isle of Portland , Chesil Beach and Durdle Door . The north of the county contains part of Cranborne Chase ,
3888-722: A varied service in further rural locations. The First Group operate buses in the Weymouth and Bridport area, including a regular route along the A35 from Weymouth to Axminster, which helps to compensate for the missing rail link west of Dorchester; and the Jurassic Coaster service, which runs along the county's coastline. Yellow Buses provided bus services within Bournemouth and outlying areas until they ceased operating in 2022. LSWR 415 class The LSWR 415 class
4032-533: A wide band of Cretaceous chalk which crosses the county as a range of hills from north-east to south-west, incorporating Cranborne Chase and the Dorset Downs , and a narrow band running from south-west to south-east, incorporating the Purbeck Hills . Between the chalk hills are large, wide vales and wide flood plains . These vales are dotted with small villages, farms and coppices , and include
4176-455: Is a 4-4-2 T steam tank locomotive , with the trailing wheels forming the basis of its "Radial Tank" moniker. It was designed by William Adams and introduced in 1882 for service on the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). Originally rostered for suburban traffic, the class was soon displaced to the countryside by Dugald Drummond 's M7 class . Most of the class was scrapped around
4320-524: Is an outdoor arts festival that takes place every two years in rural and urban locations across Dorset. In addition to the smaller folk festivals held in towns such as Christchurch and Wimborne , Dorset holds several larger musical events such as Camp Bestival , End of the Road and the Larmer Tree Festival . Dorset's only professional football club is AFC Bournemouth , which plays in
4464-478: Is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south-east, the English Channel to the south, and Devon to the west. The largest settlement is Bournemouth , and the county town is Dorchester . The county has an area of 2,653 km (1,024 sq mi) and a population of 772,268. Around half of
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4608-527: Is connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach , a 27-kilometre (17 mi) long shingle barrier beach protecting The Fleet , Britain's largest tidal lagoon. The county has one of the highest proportions of conservation areas in England, and two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) cover 53% of the administrative county. It has two heritage coasts totalling 92 kilometres (57 mi), and Sites of Special Scientific Interest covering 199 km (77 sq mi). The South West Coast Path ,
4752-559: Is in the former church where Mary Anning was baptised. Thanksgiving Day has been held since Parliament decreed, at the end of the English Civil War , as a day of celebration and prayer in Lyme to mark its victory over the long siege of the town by Royalist forces. The celebration includes residents dressed in period costume to parade through the streets. Annual events include the Lyme Regis Carnival and Regatta,
4896-637: Is known as the Dorset Cross or St Wite's Cross, was adopted in 2008 following a public competition organised by Dorset County Council. The winning design, which features a white cross with a red border on a golden background, attracted 54% of the vote. All three colours are used in Dorset County Council's coat of arms and the red and white was used in recognition of the English flag . The golden colour represents Dorset's sandy beaches and
5040-589: Is less straightforward and includes Portland and Purbeck stone , other limestones , calcareous clays and shales . Portland and Purbeck stone are of national importance as a building material and for restoring some of Britain's most famous landmarks. Almost every type of rock known from the Early Jurassic to the Eocene epochs can be found in the county. Dorset has a number of limestone ridges which are mostly covered in either arable fields or calcareous grassland supporting sheep. These limestone areas include
5184-399: Is of interest for its diverse natural history. Landslides continued to cause problems in the area into the 21st century. In 2005, work began on a £16 million engineering project to stabilise the cliffs and protect the town from coastal erosion . The town's main beach was relaid and reopened on 1 July 2006. On the evening of 6 May 2008, a 400 metres (1,300 ft) section of land slipped onto
5328-658: Is one of few English counties not well served by canals and has no motorways. The A303 , A35 and A31 trunk roads run through the county. The A303, which connects the West Country to London via the M3 , clips the north-west of the county. The A35 crosses the county in a west–east direction from Honiton in Devon, via Bridport, Dorchester, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, to Southampton in Hampshire. The A31 connects to
5472-533: Is one of the largest natural harbours in the world. The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island , the birthplace of the Scouting movement and one of the few remaining sanctuaries for indigenous red squirrels in England. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck to the south, lie atop Western Europe's largest onshore oil field . The field, operated by Perenco from Wytch Farm , has
5616-741: Is part of the West Dorset constituency for elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom . From 1295 to 1868 it was covered by the Lyme Regis constituency The first record of the Cobb, the town's harbour wall, is in a 1328 document describing it as having been damaged by storms. It was made of oak piles driven into the seabed, with boulders stacked between. The boulders had been floated into place, tied between empty barrels. A 1685 account describes it as, "an immense mass of stone, of
5760-693: Is powered by water from the River Lym via a leat running along a lynch . The Domesday Book records a mill at Lyme in 1086, so the site could be much older. Town Mill Brewery opened in part of the mill in March 2010. Near the Town Mill, on the site of an old chapel dedicated to St Mary and the Holy Spirits, is the "Lepers' Well". In medieval times "leper" was used as a general description of skin diseases, not necessarily leprosy. A hospital that stood on
5904-481: Is shown in the table below. The 2012 mid-year estimate for the population of the parish is 3,637. The parish church of St Michael the Archangel, above Church Cliff, dominates the old town. Dating from the 12th century, it was originally a tripartite structure with an axial tower. Transepts were added in about 1200 and two aisles in the 13th century. A new church was built east of the tower and transepts early in
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6048-495: Is the home to top-flight speedway team Poole Pirates . The county's coastline, on the English Channel, is noted for its watersports (particularly sailing, gig racing , windsurfing, power boating and kayaking) which take advantage of the sheltered waters in the bays of Weymouth and Poole , and the harbours of Poole and Portland. Dorset hosted the sailing events at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics at
6192-781: The 2024 . The marginal seat of South Dorset is represented by Lloyd Hatton , who gained the seat from Conservative representative, Richard Drax , in 2024. The Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency has been represented by the Liberal Democrat MP, Vikki Slade since 2024. In the 2024 general election, the Conservatives held 2 constituencies in Dorset, while the Liberal Democrats gained 2 and Labour gained 4. A. Excludes self-employed , government-supported trainees and armed forces B. Includes industries that are also part of
6336-469: The Black Death entered England at Melcombe Regis in 1348. The county has seen much civil unrest: in the English Civil War an uprising of Clubmen vigilantes was crushed by Oliver Cromwell 's forces in a pitched battle near Shaftesbury ; the doomed Monmouth Rebellion began at Lyme Regis ; and the Tolpuddle Martyrs , a group of Dorset farm labourers, were instrumental in the formation of
6480-616: The Bloody Assizes took place to punish the rebels. Over a five-day period in Dorchester, Judge Jeffreys presided over 312 cases: 74 of the accused were executed, 175 were sentenced to penal transportation , and nine were publicly whipped. In 1686, at Charborough Park , a meeting took place to plot the downfall of James II of England . This meeting was effectively the start of the Glorious Revolution . During
6624-500: The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre , Poole Museum , Portland Museum and Wareham Town Museum . Dorset contains 190 conservation areas , more than 1,500 scheduled monuments , over 30 registered parks and gardens and 12,850 listed buildings . Grade I listed buildings include: Portland Castle , a coastal fort commissioned by Henry VIII ; a castle with more than a 1,000 years of history at Corfe ;
6768-640: The East Kent Light Railway – a system serving the coalfield of East Kent – and was delivered to Shepherdswell on 13 April 1923. As a purely passenger engine, the new arrival was little suited to the East Kent Light Railway's primarily industrial needs; it was only used when absolutely necessary, and then largely on coal trains, taking 14 wagons on the Tilmanstone shuttle. Latterly it seems to have worked only about once
6912-490: The England and Wales average of 17.4%, and 18.6% are less than 17 years old, lower than the England and Wales average of 21.3%. The working age population (females and males between 16 and 64) is lower than England and Wales average, 60% compared to 64%. Data collected between 2010 and 2012 shows that average life expectancy at birth in the county is 85.3 years for females and 81.2 years for males. This compares favourably with
7056-659: The English Channel coast at the Dorset– Devon border. At the 2011 census , it had a population of 3,671. The town has grown around the mouth of the River Lim (or Lym) which drops from a plateau at an altitude of about 200 m (660 ft) before flowing around 5–6 km (3–4 mi) south and south-east to the sea. Its name is of British origin and probably cognate with the Welsh llif meaning flood or stream. Historically there were mills along its length. Its lower reaches coincide with sections of three recreational footpaths:
7200-470: The English Civil War , Parliamentarians withstood an eight-week siege of the town by Royalist forces under Prince Maurice . The Duke of Monmouth landed at Lyme Regis at the start of the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685. Lyme grew in size as a result of seaside tourism in the 18th century bought about by new purported health benefits of the sea air/taking the waters, and the establishment of
7344-473: The Industrial Revolution largely bypassed Dorset which lacked coal resources and as a consequence the county remained predominantly agricultural. Farming has always been central to the economy of Dorset and the county became the birthplace of the modern trade union movement when, in 1834, six farm labourers formed a union to protest against falling wages. The labourers, who are now known as
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#17327648820027488-538: The John Fowles novel The French Lieutenant's Woman and the 1981 film of that name , partly shot in the town. A former mayor and MP was Admiral Sir George Somers , who founded the English colonial settlement of Somers Isles, now Bermuda , where Lyme Regis is twinned with St George's . In July 2015, Lyme Regis joined Jamestown, Virginia in a Historic Atlantic Triangle with St George's. The 2011 census gave
7632-583: The Kingdom of Wessex . The precise details of this West Saxon conquest and how it took place are not clear, but it appears to have substantially taken place by the start of the reign of Caedwalla in 685. The Saxons established a diocese at Sherborne (later to develop into the Diocese of Salisbury ) and Dorset was made a shire —an administrative district of Wessex and predecessor to the English county system—with borders that have changed little since. In 789
7776-765: The Lighthouse arts centre in Poole; the Bournemouth International Centre , Pavilion Theatre and O2 Academy in Bournemouth; and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1893, is based in Poole. Dorset has more than 30 general and specialist museums. The Dorset County Museum (now the Dorset Museum ) in Dorchester was founded in 1846 and contains an extensive collection of exhibits covering
7920-690: The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival (in conjunction with the London Natural History Museum ), and Mary Anning Day. The traditional conger cuddling event takes place during Lifeboat Week. The carnival and regatta, organised by volunteers, take place over a week in August, as does the Lyme Regis Gig Club regatta. Bonfire night celebrations include a torchlight procession, a bonfire on the beach and
8064-609: The Parliamentarians . An uprising of Clubmen —vigilantes weary of the depredations of the war—took place in Dorset in 1645. Some 2,000 of these rebels offered battle to Lord Fairfax's Parliamentary army at Hambledon Hill but they were easily routed. Sherborne Castle was taken by Fairfax that same year and in 1646 Corfe Castle, the last remaining Royalist stronghold in Dorset, was captured after an act of betrayal: both were subsequently slighted . The Duke of Monmouth's unsuccessful attempt to overthrow James II began when he landed at Lyme Regis in 1685. A series of trials known as
8208-430: The Premier League —the highest division in the English football league system . Non-League semi-professional teams in the county include Southern Premier Division teams Dorchester Town F.C. , Poole Town F.C. and Weymouth F.C. Dorset County Cricket Club competes in the Minor Counties Cricket Championship and is based at Dean Park Cricket Ground in Bournemouth. Poole Stadium hosts regular greyhound racing and
8352-438: The Tolpuddle Martyrs , were subsequently arrested for administering "unlawful oaths" and sentenced to transportation but they were pardoned following massive protests by the working classes. The Dorsetshire Regiment were the first British unit to face a gas attack during the First World War (1914–1918) and they sustained particularly heavy losses at the Battle of the Somme . In total some 4,500 Dorset servicemen died in
8496-420: The Wessex Ridgeway , Liberty Trail and East Devon Trail . The town's beaches and cliffs are noted for fossils . They form part of the local Heritage Coast and the more extensive coastal World Heritage Site , commonly referred to as the Jurassic Coast – stretching for 153 kilometres (95 mi) from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in the west to Old Harry Rocks in the east. The coastal exposures provide
8640-732: The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy . The venue was completed in May 2009 and was used by international sailing teams in preparation for the Games. In motorsport, Dorset hosts the Extreme E Jurassic X Prix at Bovington Camp. 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, which he renamed South Wessex . The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage , in Higher Bockhampton, east of Dorchester; and Max Gate , his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams , who wrote much of The Hitchhiker's Guide to
8784-401: The town's railway station was closed under the Beeching Axe . The station was dismantled and rebuilt at Alresford , on the Mid Hants Watercress Railway in Hampshire. The route to Lyme Regis was notable for being operated by aged Victorian locomotives. One of these Adams Radial Tank engines is now preserved on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex. A West Country Class steam locomotive No. 34009
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#17327648820028928-421: The trade union movement . During the Second World War , Dorset was heavily involved in the preparations for the invasion of Normandy , and the large harbours of Portland and Poole were two of the main embarkation points. Agriculture was historically the major industry of Dorset, but is now in decline in favour of tourism. Dorset derives its name from the county town of Dorchester . The Romans established
9072-435: The turnpike road system. The town then benefited at the expense of continental destinations during the Napoleonic wars when wealthy tourists were unable to travel abroad. This led notable people including Jane Austen to visit, who set part of her final novel Persuasion in the town. Between 1811 and her death in 1847 Mary Anning , a geological pioneer, found and identified Jurassic marine reptile fossils in cliffs to
9216-415: The 0415's tenure on the London suburban services was relatively short-lived. This was especially true with the introduction of the Adams T1 class of 0-4-4 tanks displacing some of the class from the London area. However, it was not until the introduction of Drummond's M7 class 0-4-4 tanks and electrification of the suburban railway network that the class was generally removed from the London section of
9360-511: The 16th century and the old chancel and aisles removed. The old nave was shortened in the 19th century. Mary Anning is buried there and commemorated in a stained-glass window provided by members of the Geological Society of London , an organisation that did not admit women until 1904. The Baptist church was founded in 1653 and has been on the same site since 1699. Bethany Chapel, an independent Evangelical (Christian Brethren) church, celebrated its centenary in 2014. The Boat Building Academy,
9504-427: The 18th century, much smuggling took place along the Dorset coast; its coves, caves and sandy beaches provided opportunities for gangs such as the Hawkhursts to stealthily bring smuggled goods ashore. Poole became Dorset's busiest port and established prosperous trade links with the fisheries of Newfoundland which supported cloth, rope and net manufacturing industries in the surrounding towns and villages. However,
9648-412: The 1981 film The French Lieutenant's Woman , based on the 1969 novel of the same name by John Fowles . The town was used in filming All Over the Town (1949), under the name "Tormouth". The town community is portrayed in disguise in The Earl's Granddaughter (1895) by Georgina Castle Smith , writing as Emma. It also features in A. S. Byatt 's Booker Prize -winning 1990 novel Possession and
9792-440: The 2002 film adapted from it. Lyme Regis is the setting for much of the historical novel Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier , of which fossil hunter Mary Anning is a protagonist. Dorset Dorset ( / ˈ d ɔːr s ɪ t / DOR -sit ; archaically : Dorsetshire / ˈ d ɔːr s ɪ t . ʃ ɪər , - ʃ ər / DOR -sit-sheer , -shər ) is a ceremonial county in South West England . It
9936-402: The 2024 United Kingdom general election when they were all gained by Labour. The county constituencies of North Dorset and Christchurch are also represented by Conservative MPs. Between 1997 and 2019, West Dorset was represented by Conservative MP Oliver Letwin who was the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office in David Cameron 's government. The seat was won by Edward Morello in
10080-399: The A35 at Bere Regis , and passes east through Wimborne and Ferndown to Hampshire, where it later becomes the M27 . Other main roads in the county include the A338 , A354 , A37 and A350 . The A338 heads north from Bournemouth to Ringwood (Hampshire) and on to Salisbury (Wiltshire) and beyond. The A354 also connects to Salisbury after travelling north-east from Weymouth in the south of
10224-447: The Blackmore Vale ( Stour valley ) and the Frome valley . The Blackmore Vale is composed of older Jurassic deposits, largely clays interspersed with limestones, and has traditionally been a centre for dairy agriculture. South-east Dorset, including the lower Frome valley and around Poole and Bournemouth, comprises younger Eocene deposits, mainly sands and clays of poor agricultural quality. The soils created from these deposits support
10368-469: The Cobb harbour wall. The aquarium showcases some of the abundant local sea life and offers insight into Lyme's rich maritime history. Visitors have opportunities to hand-feed a shoal of tame Thicklip grey mullet , stroke a lobster, and hold a starfish. Other exhibits include weaver fish , wrasse , blenny , sea mice and crustaceans, including hermit crab. Town Mill, a watermill dating from 1340, has been restored to working order and produces flour. It
10512-559: The D-Day Normandy landings and gliders from RAF Tarrant Rushton dropped troops near Caen to begin Operation Tonga . Dorset experienced an increase in holiday-makers after the war. First popularised as a tourist destination by George III's frequent visits to Weymouth, the county's coastline, seaside resorts and its sparsely populated rural areas attract millions of visitors each year. With farming declining across
10656-501: The Dorset Downs receive between 1,000 and 1,250 mm (39–49 in) per year; less than much of Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east. The 2011 Census records Dorset's population as 744,041. This consisted of 412,905 for the non-metropolitan county (not including Bournemouth and Poole), 183,491 for the unitary authority of Bournemouth and 147,645 for the unitary authority of Poole. In 2013 it
10800-430: The Dorset Downs, the average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (49.6 to 53.6 °F). The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex , East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1,541–1,885 hours a year. Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive 700–800 mm (28–31 in) per year;
10944-658: The Dorset landmarks of Golden Cap and Gold Hill . It is also a reference to the Wessex Dragon , a symbol of the Saxon Kingdom which Dorset once belonged to, and the gold wreath featured on the badge of the Dorset Regiment . Dorset is connected to London by two main line railways. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. Running west from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids in Devon, it provides
11088-708: The Galaxy while he lived in Stalbridge ; John le Carré , author of espionage novels, was born in Poole; Tom Sharpe of Wilt fame lived in Bridport; John Fowles ( The French Lieutenant's Woman ) lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; T.F. Powys lived in Chaldon Herring for over 20 years and used it as inspiration for the fictitious village of Folly Down in his novel Mr. Weston's Good Wine ; John Cowper Powys , his elder brother, also set
11232-526: The LSWR to rural branch duties from 1895. Despite this, in 1903 the inextricable link was made between the class and the severely curved Lyme Regis branch. Unsuccessful trials were carried out with the Stroudley Terriers and the Adams O2 class ; however with the trailing axle modified the flexible 0415 class tanks proved to be highly suited to the operating conditions of that line. As
11376-425: The LSWR. In order to facilitate the speedy overhaul of these locomotives in the confined spaces of Nine Elms, spare boilers were constructed. Coupled to a short wheelbase and guiding bogies, the locomotive was relatively manoeuvrable on tight curves, a feature that was to ensure the survival of some of the class later on. Upon the appointment of Dugald Drummond as Superintendent of the LSWR after Adams' departure,
11520-431: The Lyme Regis branch after Nationalisation due to the lack of better motive power to cope with the curve restrictions in place on the line. By 1958 all three were showing their age, and the end finally came in 1961. Modifications were undertaken on the trackwork to enable Ivatt 2-6-2 tanks to be passed for use on the line. This resulted in numbers 30582 (née 125) and 30584 (née 520) being withdrawn and scrapped. Steam on
11664-664: The Old English word sæte (meaning "people"). The same ending can also be seen in the neighbouring Somerset . It is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in AD ;845 and in the 10th century the county's archaic name, Dorseteschyre (Dorsetshire), was first recorded. The first human visitors to Dorset were Mesolithic hunters, from around 8000 BC. The first permanent Neolithic settlers appeared around 3000 BC and were responsible for
11808-633: The Southern Railway inherited locomotives with a '0' prefix to the LSWR numbers. The final three class members that survived the mass withdrawal of 1929 were renumbered 3488, 3125 and 3520 after overhaul. Livery under the Southern was Richard Maunsell 's darker version of the LSWR Sage Green livery, with yellow numbering and lettering on the water tank sides and coal bunker. This livery also featured black and white lining. The class
11952-540: The Stour, which rises in Wiltshire to the north, has its origins in clay soil. The River Avon , which flows mainly through Wiltshire and Hampshire, enters Dorset towards the end of its journey at Christchurch Harbour . The rivers Axe and Yeo , which principally drain the counties of Devon and Somerset respectively, have their sources in the north-west of the county. In the south-west, a number of small rivers run into
12096-436: The UK, Dorset is less affected by the more intense Atlantic winds than Cornwall and Devon. Dorset, along with the entire South West England , has higher winter temperatures, average 4.5 to 8.7 °C (40.1 to 47.7 °F), than the rest of the United Kingdom. However, Dorset maintains higher summer temperatures than Devon and Cornwall, with average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C (66.4 to 72.0 °F). Excluding hills such as
12240-438: The averages for England and Wales of 82.9 and 79.1 years respectively. Around 95.2% of Dorset's population are of white ethnicity, 60.9% of the population are Christian and 28.5% say they are not religious. More than 33% of the county's population possess a level 4 qualification or above, such as a Higher National Diploma, Degree or a Higher Degree; while nearly 6.3% have no qualifications at all. Almost 43.7% are employed in
12384-546: The beach between Lyme Regis and Charmouth. Police described the landslip as the "worst in 100 years". It called for diverting the South West Coast Path inland between Lyme Regis and Charmouth via the Lyme Regis Golf Course. In the 2011 census the town's parish had 2,431 dwellings, 1,770 households and a population of 3,671. The population of the parish in the censuses between 1921 and 2011
12528-577: The border with modern-day Hampshire , delayed the advance of the Saxons into Dorset for almost 150 years. It appears to have been re-fortified during this period, with the former Roman Road at Ackling Dyke also being blocked by the Britons, apparently to prevent the West Saxon advance into Dorset. However, by the end of the 7th century Dorset had fallen under Saxon control and been incorporated into
12672-625: The branch was however short lived after the demise of the 0415 class, and the Ivatt tanks were soon replaced by diesel railcars. The branch was closed under the Beeching cuts in 1965. No. 30582 was the subject of a preservation attempt by the Kent & East Sussex Railway. However the final example, 30583 (née 488), was purchased by the Bluebell Railway , chosen because of the three it was
12816-534: The chalk and the heath. In the west this results in a hilly landscape of diverse character that resembles that of neighbouring county Devon . Marshwood Vale , a valley of Lower Lias clay at the western tip of the county, lies to the south of the two highest points in Dorset: Lewesdon Hill at 279 metres (915 ft) and Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft). A former river valley flooded by rising sea levels 6,000 years ago, Poole Harbour
12960-639: The charity Lymearts Community Trust, stages a variety of live events. In 2012 graffiti artist Banksy stenciled an origami crane on a wall adjacent to the River Lym at the intersection of Mill and Coombe Streets. Local TV coverage is provided by BBC South West and ITV West Country . Television signals are received from the Stockland Hill TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter situated in Charmouth . Local radio stations are BBC Radio Solent , Heart West , Wessex FM , and Lyme Bay Radio,
13104-455: The class was modified slightly, with the application of his lipped chimney in place of the stovepipe version that the locomotives were equipped with when built. This also coincided with the addition of coal rails to the bunker in an attempt to increase capacity. Because the class was not considered to have a long working life under Robert Urie , they were not equipped with superheating. Despite being well received in service by locomotive crews,
13248-631: The class were utilised in Scotland where the Highland Railway was experiencing a locomotive shortage. In September 1917 number 0488 was sold to the Ministry of Munitions, and then worked at Ridham Dock near Sittingbourne either as a rather unsuitable dock shunter or more likely on staff trains. It was purchased from the Ministry of Munitions Disposal and Liquidation Commission in March 1923 for £375 by Colonel Holman F. Stephens , for use on
13392-421: The country, tourism has edged ahead as the primary revenue-earning sector. Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns and no cities. The only major urban area is the South East Dorset conurbation , which is situated at the south-eastern end of the county and is atypical of the county as a whole. It consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port and borough of Poole,
13536-472: The county was in agricultural use, up from 1,986 km (767 sq mi) in 1989, although this was due to an increase in permanent grass, and land set aside . By contrast, in the same period, arable land decreased from 993 to 916 km (383 to 354 sq mi). Excluding fowl, sheep are the most common animal stock in the county; between 1989 and 2006 their numbers fell from 252,189 to 193,500. Cattle and pig farming has declined similarly; during
13680-471: The county's history and environment. The Tank Museum at Bovington contains more than 300 tanks and armoured vehicles from 30 nations. The museum is the largest in Dorset and its collection has been designated of national importance . Other museums which reflect the cultural heritage of the county include The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester, the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth,
13824-524: The county. The A37 travels north-west from Dorchester to Yeovil in Somerset. The A350 also leads north, from Poole through Blandford and Shaftesbury, to Warminster in Wiltshire. A passenger seaport and an international airport are situated in the county. Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries operate out of Poole Harbour; Brittany Ferries provide access to Cherbourg in France and Condor Ferries sail
13968-575: The county—most notably Maiden Castle which is one of the largest in Europe. The Romans arrived in Dorset during their conquest of Britain in AD 43. Maiden Castle was captured by the Legio II Augusta under the command of Vespasian , and the Roman settlement of Durnovaria was established nearby. Bokerley Dyke , a large defensive ditch built by the county's post-Roman inhabitants near
14112-632: The creation of the Dorset Cursus , a 10.5-kilometre (6.5 mi) monument for ritual or ceremonial purposes. From 2800 BC onwards Bronze Age farmers cleared Dorset's woodlands for agricultural use and Dorset's high chalk hills provided a location for numerous round barrows . During the Iron Age , the British tribe known as the Durotriges established a series of hill forts across
14256-562: The decision to recommission and rebuild numbers 0125 and 0520 at Eastleigh Works, where they were outshopped as 3125 and 3520. In 1946, the Southern Railway needed a third 'Radial' tank for the Lyme Regis branch to cover locomotive unavailability, and found 0488 (East Kent Light Railway number 5) out of use, but intact. In March 1946, the SR purchased it for £120. It was extensively overhauled for SR service at Eastleigh, where it received its updated number, 3488. These three locomotives continued on
14400-413: The earliest discoveries of dinosaur and other prehistoric reptile remains were made in the area around Lyme Regis, notably those discovered by Mary Anning (1799–1847). Significant finds include Ichthyosaurus , Plesiosaurus , Dimorphodon , Scelidosaurus (one of the first armoured dinosaurs) and Dapedium . The town holds an annual Mary Anning Day and Lyme Regis Fossil Festival. A fossil of
14544-506: The early part of the 12th century. Over the next 200 years Dorset's population grew substantially and additional land was enclosed for farming to provide the extra food required. The wool trade, the quarrying of Purbeck Marble and the busy ports of Weymouth , Melcombe Regis , Lyme Regis and Bridport brought prosperity to the county. However, Dorset was devastated by the bubonic plague in 1348 which arrived in Melcombe Regis on
14688-556: The east of Lyme Regis. On New Year's Day, 1915, HMS Formidable was torpedoed, the first major U-boat kill of World War I. A local lifeboat delivered bodies to the Pilot Boat Inn in Bridge Street. Lassie , the owner's dog, licked the face of Seaman Cowan, who was believed dead, and seemingly brought him back to life. The namesake of this cross-breed became a legend of books, radio, film and television. In 1965,
14832-491: The end of the First World War , and further decreases meant that all of them were due to be withdrawn by 1929. However, the class was noted for its long service on the Lyme Regis branch line , and three members of this long obsolete class were utilised on this duty until 1962, when suitable replacements became available. One has survived and can be found on the Bluebell Railway . This class, designed by William Adams,
14976-407: The entire council occur every four years. The two authorities came into existence on 1 April 2019, when Bournemouth and Poole merged with Christchurch, one of six second-tier districts previously governed by Dorset County Council , leaving the other five districts - Weymouth and Portland , West Dorset , North Dorset , Purbeck and East Dorset - to form a second UA. Dorset County Council
15120-447: The first batch, which was allocated the series 415–432. Stephenson constructed several batches including the series 45–57, 68, 82, 77 and 78, with the final examples being 104, 106, 107, 125, 126 and 129. Dubs produced numbers 169–173, 490–495 and finally 516–525. Neilson produced the batch 479–489. A duplicate number was granted to class members between 1903 and 1924, so that after grouping in 1923,
15264-402: The first complete Ichthyosaur , discovered near Lyme Regis in 1811 by Mary Anning . The county features some notable coastal landforms, including examples of a cove ( Lulworth Cove ), a natural arch ( Durdle Door ) and chalk stacks ( Old Harry Rocks ). Jutting out into the English Channel at roughly the midpoint of the Dorset coastline is the Isle of Portland , a limestone island that
15408-631: The first recorded Viking attack on the British Isles took place in Dorset on the Portland coast, and they continued to raid into the county for the next two centuries. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, feudal rule was established in Dorset and the bulk of the land was divided between the Crown and ecclesiastical institutions. The Normans consolidated their control over the area by constructing castles at Corfe , Wareham and Dorchester in
15552-430: The hotel has accommodated Alfred Lord Tennyson , Henry Wadsworth Longfellow , Hilaire Belloc , G. K. Chesterton and J. R. R. Tolkien , who spent several holidays there. In 1944 General Eisenhower delivered an important briefing before D-Day to senior Allied officers in its first-floor lounge. It was used as a setting in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman in 1981. The owners, Palmers Brewery of Bridport, closed
15696-409: The hotel in May 1990 and put forward plans to demolish the significantly historic rear of the building and replace it with retail units, a restaurant, and visitor and private accommodation. The Royal Lion Hotel is a former coaching inn dating from the first decade of the 17th century. It is reputedly haunted; many alleged ectoplasms have been sighted in the corridors and cold spots. On 22 May 2022
15840-431: The initials 'LSW' on the water tank sides. This was eventually superseded by the later LSWR Passenger Sage Green livery, with black edging and black and white lining. Numbering was in gilt, as was the 'LSWR' lettering on the water tank side. Numbering under the LSWR depended on batch, which therefore led to a confusing system of numbers that were granted to locomotives as they were outshopped. Beyer-Peacock constructed
15984-657: The largest events of its kind in Europe, and the Bournemouth Air Festival , a free air show that attracted 1.3 million visitors in 2009. The Spirit of the Seas is a maritime festival held in Weymouth and Portland. Launched in 2008, the festival features sporting activities, cultural events and local entertainers. The Dorset County Show, which was first held in 1841, is a celebration of Dorset's agriculture. The two-day event exhibits local produce and livestock and attracts some 55,000 people. Inside Out Dorset
16128-555: The local geological and palaeontological treasures. It was formerly known as the Philpot Museum. Set into the pavement outside the museum is an example of Coade stone work, in the form of ammonites , reflecting the palaeontology for which the town is famous. It commemorates Eleanor Coade , who had an 18th-century artificial stone factory in London and a seaside home, Belmont House, in the town. The Dinosaurland Fossil Museum
16272-489: The major conurbation comprising the three towns; and Dorset Council which serves the more rural remainder of the county. For the BCP council, voters choose 76 councillors from 33 wards, with ten wards returning three candidates apiece and 23 wards, two. Dorset elects 82 councillors representing six three-councillor wards, 18 two-councillor wards and 28 single-councillor wards - 52 wards in total. In both authorities, elections for
16416-611: The most influential Dorset figures was Henry VII's chamberlain Giles Daubeney . The dissolution of the monasteries (1536–1541) met little resistance in Dorset and many of the county's abbeys, including Shaftesbury , Cerne and Milton , were sold to private owners. In 1642, at the commencement of the English Civil War , the Royalists took control of the entire county apart from Poole and Lyme Regis. However, within three years their gains had been almost entirely reversed by
16560-511: The nearby Guildhall Cottage on Church Street. Lyme Regis was an ancient borough , with the earliest known charter dating from 1284. Until 1604 the borough only covered a small part of the parish; in that year the borough was extended to match the parish. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 . The municipal borough was abolished in 1974 to become part of
16704-480: The new district of West Dorset . The modern town council was created as a successor parish council for the old borough at the same time. West Dorset was abolished in 2019 under the 2019 structural changes to local government in England , when Dorset Council was established as a unitary authority. Since then, Lyme Regis has been part of the Lyme and Charmouth ward which elects one member to Dorset Council. Lyme Regis
16848-443: The only one retaining the original pattern of boiler. After arriving at the line under its own steam, it proved a capable machine, and was painted in two different LSWR and BR liveries, up until 1990. At present, it is displayed as a static exhibit, as extensive overhaul (probably involving replacement of the boiler barrel) is required before it can steam again. Initially outshopped in early LSWR passenger Yellow Ochre/Brown livery with
16992-530: The population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation , which contains three of the county's largest settlements: Bournemouth (183,491), Poole (151,500), and Christchurch (31,372). The remainder of the county is largely rural, and its principal towns are Weymouth (53,427) and Dorchester (21,366). Dorset contains two unitary authority areas : Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and Dorset . The county did not historically include Bournemouth and Christchurch, which were part of Hampshire. Dorset has
17136-464: The port was larger than the Port of Liverpool but its importance declined in the 19th century, as it could not handle ships of increasing size. The Cobb has been destroyed or damaged by storms several times; it was swept away in 1377, along with 50 boats and 80 houses. The southern arm was added in the 1690s and rebuilt in 1793 after it was destroyed in a storm the previous year. It is thought that mortar
17280-560: The same period the number of cattle fell from 240,413 to 170,700, and pigs from 169,636 to 72,700. In 2009 there were 2,340 armed forces personnel stationed in Dorset including the Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington , Royal Signals at Blandford and the Royal Marines at Poole . The military presence has had a mixed effect on the local economy, bringing additional employment for civilians, but on occasion having
17424-534: The sea along the Dorset coastline; most notable of these are the Char , Brit , Bride and Wey . Most of Dorset's coastline is part of the Jurassic Coast , a World Heritage Site , which stretches for 155 kilometres (96 mi) between Studland and Exmouth in Devon. This coast documents the entire Mesozoic era, from Triassic to Cretaceous, and is noted for its geological landforms . The Dorset section has yielded important fossils, including Jurassic trees and
17568-416: The services industry C. Excluding Poole and Bournemouth In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the non-metropolitan county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth. The primary sector produced 2.03% of GVA, the secondary sector produced 22.44% and 75.53% came from the tertiary sector . The average GVA for the 16 regions of South West England
17712-509: The settlement in the 1st century and named it Durnovaria which was a Latinised version of a Common Brittonic word possibly meaning "place with fist-sized pebbles". The Saxons named the town Dornwaraceaster (the suffix -ceaster being the Old English name for a "Roman town"; cf. Exeter and Gloucester ) and Dornsæte came into use as the name for the inhabitants of the area from Dorn (a reduced form of Dornwaraceaster ) and
17856-600: The site 700 years ago is commemorated by a plaque on the wall of the well. The well water still runs, but probably at a reduced rate. The land was left untouched for many years before it was landscaped as a visitors' garden in the 1970s. The frontage of the Three Cups Hotel in Broad Street dates from 1807. It is believed that Jane Austen stayed in Hiscott's Boarding House on the same site in 1804. Since then
18000-401: The town, creating an artificial harbour that enabled the town to develop as a port and shipbuilding centre from the 13th century onwards. Shipbuilding was significant between 1780 and 1850; nearly 100 ships were launched, including the 12-gun Royal Navy brig HMS Snap. Well-sited for trade with France, the port's most prosperous period was from the 16th century until the end of the 18th. In 1780,
18144-459: The towns of Christchurch and Ferndown plus many surrounding villages. Bournemouth, the most populous town in the conurbation, was established in the Georgian era when sea bathing became popular. Poole, the second largest settlement (once the largest town in the county), adjoins Bournemouth to the west and contains the suburb of Sandbanks which has some of the highest land values by area in
18288-529: The urban area a population of 4,712, estimated at 4,805 in 2019. In Saxon times, the abbots of Sherborne Abbey had salt-boiling rights on land adjacent to the River Lym , and the abbey once owned part of the town. Lyme is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. In the 13th century, it developed as one of the major British ports. A royal charter was granted by King Edward I in 1284 when "Regis"
18432-540: The war and of the county's towns and villages, only one, Langton Herring , known as a Thankful Village , had no residents killed. During the Second World War (1939–1945) Dorset was heavily involved in the preparations for the invasion of Normandy : beach landing exercises were carried out at Studland and Weymouth and the village of Tyneham was requisitioned for army training. Tens of thousands of troops departed Weymouth, Portland and Poole harbours during
18576-440: The west of the county; Verwood and the historic Saxon market towns of Wareham and Wimborne Minster are located to the east. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists. Under construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury commissioned and co-designed by Charles III when he was Prince of Wales. The suburb, which is expected to be fully completed by 2025,
18720-546: The world's largest moth was discovered there in 1966. To the south-west are Poker's Pool, Seven Rock Point and Pinhay Bay and to the north-east is Charmouth . The coast is subject to landslips that expose the Jurassic-age fossils to be found on the beaches. "The Dowlands Landslip" occurred on 24 December 1839, 3 miles (4.8 km) west along the coast in Devon, in an area belonging to Bindon Manor. About 45 acres (18 ha) of wheat and turnip fields were dislodged when
18864-524: The world's oldest continuously pumping well at Kimmeridge which has been producing oil since the early 1960s. Dorset's diverse geography ensures it has an assortment of rivers, although a moderate annual rainfall coupled with rolling hills, means most are typically lowland in nature. Much of the county drains into three rivers, the Frome, Piddle and Stour which all flow to the sea in a south-easterly direction. The Frome and Piddle are chalk streams but
19008-484: The world. The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, which has been the county town since at least 1305, and Weymouth, a major seaside resort since the 18th century. Blandford Forum , Sherborne, Gillingham , Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historic market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale in north Dorset. Beaminster and Bridport are situated in
19152-407: Was added to the town's name. The charter was confirmed by Queen Elizabeth I in 1591. John Leland visited in the 16th century and described Lyme as "a praty market town set in the rootes of an high rokky hille down to the hard shore. There cummith a shalow broke from the hilles about a three miles by north, and cummith fleting on great stones through a stone bridge in the bottom." In 1644, during
19296-417: Was based on his earlier 46 class, and was specifically designed with London suburban services in mind. The design was based on a 4-4-0 design with a trailing axle added to support an enlarged coal bunker, a necessity for the intensive suburban services of the LSWR network. The radial axlebox worked in a corresponding curved hornblock the centre of which was struck near the middle of the chassis. The device
19440-420: Was because Nine Elms , the LSWR's own locomotive works, was already stretched to capacity in terms of production. Although all were constructed to the same basic design, the locomotives that were outshopped from 1884 had slightly larger side water tanks and deeper fireboxes, therefore increasing efficiency. All carried the trademark Adams stove pipe chimney throughout his tenure as Locomotive Superintendent of
19584-449: Was designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development. Dorset covers an area of 2,653 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi) and contains considerable variety in its underlying geology, which is partly responsible for the diversity of landscape. A large percentage (66%) of the county comprises either chalk , clay or mixed sand and gravels . The remainder
19728-472: Was estimated that the population had risen by around 1.4% to 754,460: 416,720 in the non-metropolitan county and 188,730 and 149,010 in Bournemouth and Poole respectively. More than half of the county's residents live in the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation. Dorset's population has a high proportion of older people and a lower than average proportion of young people: According to 2013 mid-year estimates, 23.6% are over 65 years of age, higher than
19872-400: Was first formed in 1888 by an act of government to govern the newly created administrative county of Dorset which had been based largely on the historic county borders. Dorset became a two-tier non-metropolitan county after a reorganisation of local government in 1974 and its border was extended eastwards to incorporate the former Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch. Following
20016-799: Was named "Lyme Regis" after the town. In 2005, one event to mark the bicentenary of Admiral Nelson 's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar was a re-enactment of the arrival of the news aboard the Bermuda sloop HMS Pickle . The actor playing the part of Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotière , the Trafalgar messenger, was welcomed at Lyme Regis. Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset , 25 miles (40 km) west of Dorchester and 25 miles (40 km) east of Exeter . It lies in Lyme Bay , on
20160-431: Was originally invented in 1863 by William Bridges Adams (no relation) and could be applied to a leading or trailing axle but was generally preferred for the latter. Many other engineers used it, including Francis Webb , R. J. Billinton , Henry Ivatt , and D. E. Marsh . Many of the tank engines so fitted earned the soubriquet "Radial Tanks", or simply "Radials". The enlarged coal bunker was also designed to incorporate
20304-502: Was the result of the work made to replace the stop-gap 46 Class on suburban services around London . In the event, they were also intended to supplement this class while members entered the works for rebuilding into "Radial Tank" configuration. All were built from 1882, and were also intended for medium to heavy suburban passenger traffic around the South Coast on the LSWR railway network. William Adams' 415 (later 0415) class
20448-593: Was used in the Cobb's construction for the first time in this rebuilding. It was reconstructed in 1820 using Portland Admiralty Roach , a type of Portland stone . After the Great Storm of 1824 , Captain Sir Richard Spencer RN carried out pioneering lifeboat design work in Cobb harbour. The current Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station was opened in 1997. Open since the late 1950s, Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium occupies an early 18th-century stone building on
20592-415: Was £1,458 million. Towns received 56% of Dorset's day trippers, 27% went to the coast and 17% to the countryside. A survey carried out in 1997 concluded that the primary reason tourists were drawn to Dorset was the attractiveness of the county's coast and countryside. Numbers of domestic and foreign tourists have fluctuated in recent years due to various factors including security and economic downturn,
20736-554: Was £4,693 million. The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer since the mid 19th century as mechanisation substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Within the administrative county between 1995 and 2003, GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture, fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 million to £188 million—7.1% to 4.0%. In 2007, 2,039 km (787 sq mi) of
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