West Dorset was a

local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, England. The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, and was a merger of the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

s of

Bridport Bridport is a market town and civil parish in Dorset, England, inland from the English Channel near the confluence of the River Brit and its tributary the River Asker, Asker. Its origins are Anglo-Saxons, Saxon and it has a long history as a ...

, Dorchester and

Lyme Regis Lyme Regis ( ) is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and ...

, along with

Sherborne Sherborne is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited on the River Yeo (South Somerset), River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The parish include ...

urban district and the

rural district A rural district was a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. I ...

s of Beaminster,

, Dorchester and

. Its council was based in Dorchester. The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2019 and, together with the other four districts outside the greater Bournemouth area, replaced by a new

unitary authority.

Demography

At the 2001 census, West Dorset registered a population of 92,350. The population structure reflected the rural nature of the district. The area was a popular retirement area which also exported young people due to the lack of career options. This was reflected in the age structure, with 12.3% of the population over 75, compared to 7.5% in the whole of England; 51.7% were between 15 and 59, compared to 59.1% in England. 34.4% of dwellings were pensioner households, compared to 23.8% in England. The district was an example of the low

ethnic minority The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...

populations in rural areas, with 96.7% white British ethnicity, compared to 87.0% in England. The district had a high level of car ownership, at 83.1% of households compared to 73.2% in England.

Westminster constituencies

Almost all of the West Dorset area fell within the West Dorset constituency; a small part was in

South Dorset South Dorset is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2024 by Lloyd Hatton, of th ...

Settlements

The main settlements in West Dorset were Dorchester,

and

. Dorchester, in the south of the district, is the county town of Dorset and has been an important settlement since

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times. Sherborne, in the north, is an important

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

which was, for a time, the capital of

Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...

. Bridport, in the west, is popular with tourists visiting the Jurassic Coast, as is the smaller coastal town of

at the county border with

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. :''Settlements with a population over 2,500 are in bold.'' *

Abbotsbury Abbotsbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. The village is located around west southwest of Dorchester and inland from the English Channel coast. In the 2021 census the civil parish had a population of 451. A ...

, Allington, Alton Pancras, Askerwell * Batcombe, Beaminster, Beer Hackett, Bettiscombe, Bincombe, Bishops Caundle, Bothenhampton,

Bradford Abbas Bradford Abbas is a village and civil parish in north-west Dorset, England, on the border with Somerset. The village is south-east of Yeovil and south-west of Sherborne. The parish includes the small settlement of Saxon Maybank to the north, a ...

, Bradford Peverell, Bradpole,

, Broadoak, Broadwindsor,

Buckland Newton Buckland Newton is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated beneath the scarp slope of the Dorset Downs, south of Sherborne. In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 622. The village covers around 6000&nb ...

, Burstock, Burton Bradstock * Castleton, Cattistock, Caundle Marsh,

Cerne Abbas Cerne Abbas () is a village and civil parish in Dorset in southern England. It lies in the Dorset Council administrative area in the Cerne Valley in the Dorset Downs. The village lies just east of the A352 road north of Dorchester. At the ...

, Charminster,

Charmouth Charmouth is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England. The village is situated on the mouth of the River Char, around north-east of Lyme Regis. Dorset County Council estimated that in 2013 the population of the civil parish was 1,31 ...

, Chedington, Cheselbourne, Chetnole, Chickerell, Chideock, Chilfrome,

Clifton Maybank Clifton Maybank is a hamlet and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is located about a mile southwest of the village of Bradford Abbas. It is known for Clifton Maybank House, a English country house, coun ...

, Compton Valence, Corscombe, Crossways * Dewlish, Dorchester * Evershot * Fleet, Folke, Frampton, Frome St Quintin, Frome Vauchurch * Godmanstone * Halstock, Hermitage, Hilfield, Holnest, Holwell, Hooke * Langton Herring,

Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staffor ...

, Lillington, Littlebredy, Litton Cheney, Loders, Long Bredy, Longburton,

* Maiden Newton, Marshwood, Melbury Bubb, Melbury Osmond, Melcombe Horsey, Minterne Magna, Mosterton * Netherbury, Nether Compton * Oborne, Osmington, Over Compton, Owermoigne * Piddlehinton, Piddletrenthide, Portesham, Poundbury, Powerstock, Poyntington,

Puddletown Puddletown is a village in the civil parish of Athelhampton and Puddletown, in Dorset, England. It is situated by the River Piddle, from which it derives its name, about northeast of the county town Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester. Its earlier ...

, Puncknowle, Purse Caundle, Pymore * Rampisham, Ryme Intrinseca * Sandford Orcas, Seaborough,

, Shipton Gorge, South Perrott, Stanton St Gabriel,

Stinsford Stinsford is a village and civil parish in southwest Dorset, England, about east of Dorchester. The parish includes the settlements of Higher and Lower Bockhampton. The name Stinsford may derive from , Old English for a limited area of pasture ...

, Stoke Abbott, Stratton, Swyre, Sydling St Nicholas, Symondsbury * Thorncombe, Thornford, Tincleton, Toller Porcorum,

Tolpuddle Tolpuddle () is a village in the civil parish of Burleston and Tolpuddle, in Dorset, England, on the River Piddle from which it takes its name, east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester, the county town, and west of Poole. The estimated populatio ...

, Trent * Warmwell, West Bexington, West Knighton, West Stafford,

Whitchurch Canonicorum Whitchurch Canonicorum () is a village and civil parish in southwest Dorset, England, situated in the Marshwood Vale west-northwest of Bridport. In the 2011 Census the parish – which includes the settlements of Morcombelake, Ryall and Fis ...

, Winterborne Monkton,

Winterborne St Martin Winterborne St Martin, commonly known as Martinstown, is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in southwest Dorset, England, situated southwest of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester, beside Maiden Castle, Dorset, Maiden Castle. In 20 ...

, Winterbourne Abbas, Winterbourne Steepleton, Woodbridge, Woodsford, Wootton Fitzpaine, Wraxall * Yetminster

Places of interest

* Abbotsbury Castle *

Abbotsbury Swannery Abbotsbury Swannery is a colony of nesting mute swans near the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, England. Located on a site around the Fleet Lagoon protected from the weather of Lyme Bay by Chesil Beach, it is the only managed swannery in the wor ...

* Athelhampton House *

Chesil Beach Chesil Beach (also known as Chesil Bank) in Dorset, England, is one of three major shingle beach structures in Britain.A. P. Carr and M. W. L. Blackley, "Investigations Bearing on the Age and Development of Chesil Beach, Dorset, and the Associ ...

* Dorset Downs * Eggardon Hill *

Golden Cap Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated on the English Channel coast between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. At , it is arguably the highest point near the south coast of Great Britain (although the highest point is set back some fr ...

* Hooke Court * Jurassic Coast * Kingston Russell * Maiden Castle * Pilsdon Pen * Poundbury Hill * Rampisham Down *

River Brit The River Brit is a river in west Dorset in south-west England, which rises just to the north of Beaminster. It then flows south to Netherbury and Bridport, where it is joined by tributaries: the River Simene and River Asker. South of Bridpo ...

* River Frome * River Simene *

Sherborne Abbey Sherborne Abbey, otherwise the Abbey Church of St. Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England church in Sherborne in the English county of Dorset. It was formerly a Saxon Catholic cathedral (705–1075) and a Benedictine abbey church (998–1539) ...

Sherborne Castle Sherborne Castle (sometimes called Sherborne New Castle) is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne Sherborne is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited ...

* Sherborne House * The

Tolpuddle Martyrs The Tolpuddle Martyrs were six agricultural labourers from the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset, England, who were arrested and tried in 1834 for swearing a secret oath as members of a friendly society. Led by George Loveless, the group had ...

Museum

References

External links