Ana Traveller

Exploring Dorchester during Your Dorset Holidays

The beautiful market town of Dorchester is Dorset’s county town. It is rich in history and culture and was an important town even during the Roman times.

The beautiful market town of Dorchester is Dorset’s county town. It is rich in history and culture and was an important town even during the Roman times. The buildings that can be seen today were built during the Georgian times as fires in the 17th and 18th centuries destroyed a big part of the town. When you visit Dorset, you must visit Dorchester and learn more about this town and its 6000 years of history. Dorchester plays host to many festivals and events in Dorset. The town has many attractions as well including its fascinating historical sites.

Maiden Castle

Maiden Castle is located 2 kilometers towards the south west of Dorchester and is near the many holiday cottages. It is one of the largest and most complex Iron Age hill forts in Europe.  Sitting on top of a hill, this Iron Age fort was originally 16 acres but with constant extensions, it grew to what it is today. It was believed to have been used also during the Roman times because of the Roman artefacts found near the east entrance. Maiden Castle was believed to be the capital of the Durotriges, an Iron Age Celtic tribe before the Roman conquest in 60 AD. After you have attended to the activities and events in Dorset that you have scheduled, spare some time to visit Maiden Castle.

Thomas Hardy’s Wessex

Thomas Hardy lived just a few miles from the Dorchester town centre in a cottage that his great-grandfather built. Hardy them moved to Dorchester and then in 1885, moved to Max Gate which he designed and had his brother built. It was located on the outskirts of Dorchester. The National Trust acquired the cottage in 1947 and opened it for public viewing. Max Gate is now also owned by the National Trust and is likewise open to the public. Featured in Hardy’s novels are many places in Dorchester including St. Peter’s Church, the King’s Arms Hotel, Barclays Bank, Grey’s Bridge and the Corn Exchange. Once in a while, there are events in Dorset that pay tribute to the great Thomas Hardy.

Museums in Dorchester

Visiting the Dorset County Museum is taking a look at Dorchester’s past.  There are interesting historical features like the award-winning Writer’s Gallery which has the study of Thomas Hardy.  There are also unique Roman Mosaics of England in the Victoria Gallery and several finely detailed local archaeology including Maiden Castle, barrows and local henges.

The Keep Military Museum was built in 1879 and has exhibitions on the people has served in the regiments of Devon and Dorset for the last 300 years. The Dinosaur Museum has fossils, skeletons and realistic reconstructions of dinosaurs. The Teddy Bear House displays some of the oldest teddy bears until the latest characters you see on TV shows. The Terracotta Warriors Museum shows the life-size replicas of the Terracotta Warriors who served the Emperor of China. The Tutankhamun Exhibition replicates the sights, sounds and smell that you will witness at the ancient Egyptian tomb of Tutankhamun. Watch out for the special exhibitions and events in Dorset museums which are worth attending.

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