Interesting Facts You Probably Don’t Know about Dorchester

Famous for being Thomas Hardy’s home, Dorchester town is a historic literary star that features in The Mayor of Casterbridge. Here are some other interesting facts about the bustling market town:

1. Dorchester’s famous villain the ‘Hanging Judge’, or Judge Jeffreys, came to Dorchester in 1685, at the time when a rebellion against King James II fired-up in south-west England. The rebellion was led by the Duke of Monmouth, but they were defeated by the English army.

It was Judge Jefferies who decided on the punishments of the Duke of Monmouth’s supporters, with 74 sentenced to execution and only 29 pardoned, it is clear to see how the famous judge earned his nickname!

2. Thomas Hardy is not the only writer celebrated in Dorchester, William Barnes also has links to the area. Barnes was born just outside of Sturminster Newton and, after leaving school at the age of 13, managed to secure a job at a solicitors in Dorchester, owing to his excellent handwriting.

Barnes’ sense of affiliation with the area is clear, he is famed for his poetry written in the Dorset dialect and was a great advocate of the language of his native county. He also co-founded the Dorset County Museum in 1845.

A statue of the writer was unveiled in 1889 outside St Peters Church in Dorchester, where it can still be seen today.

3. Maumbury Rings originated as a Neolithic Henge which is thought to have been constructed around 2,500 BC. However, the arrival of Romans around the 1^st Century saw the site turned in to one of the largest amphitheatres in the country.

The rings are located just a short walk from Dorchester town centre, and the site is now used for a range of events from art festivals, to theatre and live music.

4. As the county town of Dorset since 1305, Dorchester celebrated the 700th anniversary of its Royal Charter in 2005.

5. Dorchester is twinned with three towns, all of which are situated in Europe.

The three towns are Lübbecke in Westphalia, Germany, Bayeux in France and Holbæk in Denmark.

Bayeux is Dorchester’s oldest twin and occurred in 1959 towards the end of the Second World War, when the Dorset Regiment were the first soldiers to enter the town in 1944.

Lübbecke is a town of approximately 27,000 people and is, likewise to Dorchester, a significant town in a small (ish) region. Dorchester’s twinning with Lübbecke was created in 1973.

The town’s twinning with Holbæk is the most recent and occurred in 1992, as a result of a shared interest in community plays.

6. Poundbury is an experimental new town, or urban extension, located on the outskirts of Dorchester. Poundbury features a number of traditional style houses, which are built on land that is owned by Prince Charles. Poundbury follows Urbanist principles and is, ultimately, a town with an urban focus. As a result, the town features close by shops, schools and amenities in order to encourage walking, cycling and public transport, rather than car dependency.

7. Dorchester was referred to as ‘Durnovaria’ by the Romans, who founded the town, which is where the name ‘Dorchester’ originates.

8. Dorset’s Teddy Bear Museum is home to old teddy bears that date back to 1906!

9. Dorchester has been a Fair Trade town since 2004. The Fair Trade Town campaign was started in 2001 in Garstang, Lancashire. It was launched by a local Oxfam supporter, Bruce Crowther, and the Garstang Oxfam Group. The initiative aimed to promote Fair Trade certified goods and there are now Fairtrade Towns all over the world.

Fancy a trip to Dorchester? Dream Cottages have a number of luxury holiday cottages available for hire in and nearby Dorchester.