Visit Dorchester, Dorset Places

Welcome to Visit Dorchester, Dorset Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Dorchester, Dorset

  

Dorchester, Dorset Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Dorchester, Dorset

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Dorchester, Dorset history

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Prehistory and Romano-British

The earliest settlements were about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the modern town centre . Maiden Castle, a large Iron Age hill fort, was one of the most powerful settlements in pre-Roman Britain . Different tribes lived there from 4000 BC .

Medieval

One of the first raids of the Viking era may have taken place near Dorchester around 790 . The King’s reeve assembled a few men and sped to meet them thinking that they were merchants from another country . When he arrived at their location, he admonished them and instructed that they should be brought to the royal town .

Early modern

Dorchester suffered several serious fires in the 17th and 18th centuries . In 1613, a tallow chandler’s cauldron got too hot and set alight . The 1613 fire was the most devastating, resulting in the destruction of 300 houses .

Modern

Dorchester Prison was constructed in the town during the 19th century . It was used for holding convicted and remanded inmates from the local courts until it closed in 2013 . Plans have since been made to erect 189 dwellings and a museum on the site .

Dorchester, Dorset culture & places

Writers

Thomas Hardy based the fictional town of Casterbridge on Dorchester in Dorchester . Hardy’s childhood home is to the east of the town, and his town house, Max Gate, is owned by the National Trust and open to the public .

Performing arts and museums

Dorchester Arts is an Arts Council ‘National Portfolio organisation’ based in a former school building . It runs a seasonal programme of music, dance and theatre events, participatory arts projects for socially excluded groups and biannual Dorchester Festival .

Dorchester, Dorset geography / climate

Dorchester town centre is sited about 55 to 80 metres (180 to 262 ft) above sea-level. Measured directly, it is about 7 miles (11 km) north of Weymouth, 18 miles (29 km) SSE of Yeovil in Somerset, and 20 miles (32 km) west of Poole.

You can visit Dorchester, Dorset places with Walkfo Dorchester, Dorset to hear history at Dorchester, Dorset’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Dorchester, Dorset has 59 places to visit in our interactive Dorchester, Dorset map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Dorchester, Dorset, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Dorchester, Dorset places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Dorchester, Dorset & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 59 audio facts unique to Dorchester, Dorset places in an interactive Dorchester, Dorset map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Dorchester, Dorset Places Map
59 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Dorchester, Dorset historic spots	Dorchester, Dorset tourist destinations	Dorchester, Dorset plaques	Dorchester, Dorset geographic features
Walkfo Dorchester, Dorset tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Dorchester, Dorset

  

Best Dorchester, Dorset places to visit

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Dorchester, Dorset has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Dorchester, Dorset’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Dorchester, Dorset’s information audio spots:

Poundbury Hill Poundbury Hill hill fort (grid reference SY682911) is the site of a Middle Bronze Age enclosure . It overlooks the county town of Dorchester, Dorset, England .

Durnovaria Durnovaria is a suggested spelling for the Latin form of the name of the Roman town of Dorchester in the modern English county of Dorset . It is suggested that the first element in the name, *durno- may mean “fist” like (Welsh dwrn ‘fist, knob’) and the second may be related to Old Irish fáir ~ fóir denoting a confined area or den .

Dorchester Castle Dorchester Castle was a motte and bailey castle in the market town of Dorchester, Dorset, southern England (grid reference SY692909)

Kingston Maurward House Kingston Maurward House is a large Grade I listed Georgian English country house set in a 750-acre (3 square km) estate in Dorset . It is situated in the Frome valley two miles east of Dorchester .

Maumbury Rings Maumbury Rings is a Neolithic henge in the south of Dorchester town in Dorset, England (grid reference SY690899) It is a large circular earthwork, 85 metres in diameter, with a single bank and entrance to the north east. It was modified during the Roman period when it was adapted for use as an amphitheatre. The site was remodelled during the English Civil War as an artillery fort guarding the southern approach to Dorchester.

Came House Came House is a privately owned country house next to the village of Winterborne Came, in Dorset. Built in the mid-18th century, it is a Grade I listed building.

Visit Dorchester, Dorset plaques