Dorchester Dorset
When the Romans first settled in this
picturesque area they called it Dornovaria, which later
became known as Dorchester, the county town of Dorset.
Because of the Roman settlement here, numerous Roman
relics have since been discovered in and around the
local area, the most famous of which include a Roman
villa and a stone circle, known as Maumbury Rings, that
the Romans used as an amphitheatre.
Dorchester has endured a fascinating
history, including strong links with the Monmouth
rebellion of the 1600’s. It was in Dorchester that
Judge Jeffreys presided over the Bloody Assize where
mass executions took place amongst the rebels and their
sympathizers of the famous rebellion. Whilst in 1834
Dorchester’s Old Crown Court, that can still be
visited today, was where the trial of the Tolpuddle
Martyrs took place, who were each sentenced to seven
years transportation for their crime of trying to
achieve fair working rights.
Despite this rich history, Dorchester
is undoubtedly best known as Hardy country. It was
Dorchester that novelist Thomas Hardy, based his famous
Mayor of Casterbridge novel on. In fact of the many 18th
century buildings that line South Street, number 10, now
a bank, was the house that Thomas Hardy wrote of as
belonging to the Mayor of Casterbridge’s. With so many
references to Dorchester in his books the town now pays
homage to the great writer with a statue of him in the
town and many visitors choose to visit the cottage where
he was born at Higher Bockhampton.
Other local specialities that
Dorchester is famous for include a varied selection of
gourmet goodies, which are all widely available at the town’s
markets. Well worth sampling is the Dorset Blue Vinney
cheese and locally made chocolate, fudge and biscuits, that
also make great gifts for visitors to take back home.
