Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are as popular as ever. Actually, Dorchester was notable even in Roman times, when
Maumbury Rings were filled with the sounds of 12,000 spectators screaming for the
blood of the gladiators. You can get a sense of how wealthy locals lived at England's
best-preserved
Roman Townhouse.
Dorchester remained important enough to warrant a 1669 visit from Cosimo III,
Grand Duke of Tuscany, but was soon notorious for the Bloody Assizes of “Hanging
Judge” Jeffreys—over 300 local men were executed or transported for involvement in
the Duke of Monmouth's unsuccessful 1685 rebellion against King James II. Today
Dorchester is a thriving market town with an excellent
County Museum,
but it also
seems to go to bed right after dinner. It's a great base for exploring the countryside
and coast of southern and western Dorset.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
Direct trains run from London's Waterloo Station to Dorches-
ter South at least hourly during the day, stopping en route at Winchester, Southamp-
ton, and Bournemouth. The trip takes around 2
1
⁄
2
hours, costing around £55 for a
round-trip. Dorchester has two train stations: Dorchester South at Station Approach
and Dorchester West on Great Western Road.
If you're driving from London, take the M3 then M27 southwest to its end, and
continue westward on the A31, following signs to Dorchester. Expect the journey to
take around 3 hours, more during peak holiday periods.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Tourist Information Centre
is on Antelope
Walk (
&
01305/267992;
www.westdorset.com). It's open April through October,
Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, and November through March, Monday to Satur-
day 9am to 4pm.
ORGANIZED TOURS
To learn more about author and Dorchester's favorite son
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), you can join organized walks that follow in the foot-
steps of his novels in and around the area. They are conducted occasionally April
through October by the
Thomas Hardy Society
(
&
01305/251501
). Visit
www.
hardysociety.org
and click “Events.”
Exploring Dorchester & Environs
Dorchester's
Roman Townhouse,
Colliton Park (entrance in Northernhay;
&
01305/221000;
www.romantownhouse.org), is the best preserved of its kind
in Britain. Many of the original intricate mosaics from this once grand residence
in Roman “Durnovaria” have been left
in situ.
Admission is free. About 2 miles
southwest of the center are the remains of the vast Iron Age fort known as
Maiden Castle
. The site was occupied for around 4,000 years, and its dra-
matic hillside concentric fortifications date to the period just before the Romans
arrived. The site is well signposted and open to walk round.
Ten miles northeast of Dorchester, the one-room
Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum,
Memorial Cottages, Tolpuddle (
&
01305/848237;
www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk)
tells the story of six local farm workers who in 1834 successfully fought brutal odds,
a rigged trial, and a sentence of 7 years exile to Australia to form a labor union. Admis-
sion is free, and April through October hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm,
Sunday 11am to 5pm; November to March hours are Thursday to Saturday 10am to
4pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm.
7
