In 876 a body of Danes marched across the country from Cambridgeshire, and surprised Wareham, which they held until King Alfred forced them to evacuate the town. While leaving Poole harbour, 120 of their vessels were wrecked in Studland and Swanage bays. Alfred's elder brothers, Ethelbert and Ethelbald, were buried at Sherborne, and Ethelred I. at Wimborne. In 1002 Sweyn passed through Dorset on his march from Exeter to Wilton, destroying on his way Dorchester, Sherborne, and Shaftesbury. Few occurrences of historical importance have taken place in the county. Two naval actions have taken place off Portland Bill-the second fight with the Spanish Armada in 1588, and Blake's victory over Van Tromp in 1653. In the parliamentary war the majority of the townspeople and those living near the coast took the popular side, but the gentry chiefly espoused the royal cause, and held Chideock, Sherborne, and Corfe castles for the king. Lyme Regis and Poole were fortified for the parliament, and Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland, and Wareham, were also held by the inhabitants for the same cause. Corfe Castle was defended against the parliamentary forces by Lady Bankes at the close of the year 1642, and in the March of the following year the Earl of Carnarvon raised the siege, and then proceeded to take Portland and Dorchester. Several minor engagements took place during the following years, but in 1645 the men of Dorset united with those of Somerset and Wilts to form bodies of "clubmen," whose object was to defend the counties from the inroads of the armies of either party. A body of these "clubmen" came into collision with Cromwell's army at Hamilton Hill, and were defeated, after which the remaining bodes gradually dispersed. The Duke of Monmouth landed at Lyme Regis when attempting to promote an insurrection against James II. in his own favour, and after the battle of Sedgmoor was taken prisoner at Shag's Heath, near Horton. The surface of Dorset is uneven and undulating, but not mountainous, and its most characteristic feature are the open downs, which supply pasturage to some 800,000 or 1,000,000 sheep.
This range of chalk hills or downs enters the county near Cranborne Chase, and runs towards Blandford, in the valley of the Stour. The eastern corner of the county from which they proceed contains a greater abundance of wood than the western and southern portions. The two isolated elevations, Hamilton and Hod hills, belong to this range. On the W. bank of the Stour the downs recommence at Okeford Hill, and proceed with one or two breaks to Beaminster, whence another range runs S.E., and on the E. side of Weymouth Bay forms a series of cliffs, which decrease at Kimmeridge Bay, and recommence at St. Alban's or St. Aldhelm's Head, the height of which is 344 feet. A branch of the same range also runs across the centre of the Isle of Purbeck, terminating at the Foreland, the eastern extremity of Ballard's Down, which separates Swanage from Studland Bay. Pillesdon Point, the highest hill in the county, W. of Beaminster, does not belong to this range, being of the greensand formation. Its height is 934 feet. The character of the coast varies considerably at different points. The Hampshire cliffs enter Dorset, but soon are, replaced by sand, which extends in a tongue of about a mile in length across Poole Harbour. This harbour, which is about 5 or 6 miles either way, contains several smaller bays, as Holes Bay, Lytchet Bay, Arnes Bay, and others. The centre of the harbour is occupied by Brownsea Island, about 1 mile long. Round the Isle of Purbeck to Weymouth Bay the coast is again rocky, and forms several bays, viz. Studland, Swanage, Kimmeridge, Worbarrow, and Ringstead bays. In Weymouth Bay the coast is flat, but on the other side of the estuary to Sandsfoot Castle cliffs again rise. S. of this, Portland Isle projects from the mainland, being connected with it by the Chesil Bank, an extraordinary ridge of pebbles, commencing at Burton Castle, about 2½ miles E. of Bridport Harbour, and running for about 6 miles to near Abbotsbury. Here it is separated from the land by an arm of the sea called the Fleet, and continues in a straight line for 10 miles until it joins the Isle of Portland. The bank consists of blue clay, covered with pebbles of calcareous spar, quartz, chert, jasper, &c., to a depth varying from 4 to 6 feet. The island measures about 4 miles by 11, and is surrounded by lofty cliffs. It contains two castles-one, very ancient, called Rufus's Castle, or Bowand-Arrow Castle; the other, built by Henry VIII., to defend Portland Road. At the Bill two lighthouses have been erected as a protection against the dangers of Portland Race. At the W. of the isle a breakwater is in course of construction, which will convert Portland Road into a harbour of refuge. The stone employed is that quarried on the isle, and the convicts in the large prison to the E. of the isle are engaged in its construction. The pasturage is good, and the corn particularly fine, so that it is in general request for seed. The remainder of the coast of Dorset consists entirely of cliffs, remarkable for the quantity of fossils which they contain. The chief rivers are the Stour, the Piddle or Trent, and the Frome. The Stour enters the county near Silton, passes Gillingham, Sturminster Newton, and Wimborne, leaving the county at West Parley, and falling into the sea at Christ Church. Its length is 65 miles, and as far as Sturminster Newton it is navigable. Its tributaries are-the Shreen Water, the Call, the Lidden, and the Wim. The Piddle rises near Alton, passes Piddletrenthide, Piddlehinton, and Piddletown, and falls into Poole Bay near Wareham. It is joined by a small stream which flows through Bere Regis. The length of the Piddle is 22 miles.
The Frome rises N.E. of Beaminster, and passes Maiden Newton, Frampton, Stratton, Dorchester, Tincleton, Moreton, and Wareham, and after a course of 35 miles, during which it receives the Churn Bourne or Cerne, from Cerne Abbas, the South Winter Bourne, and other smaller streams, flows into Poole Bay, a short distance S. of the mouth of the Piddle. Other small rivers in Dorset are-the Lyme, at Lyme Regis; the Char, entering the sea at Charmouth; the Brit, about 9 miles, the mouth of which forms Bridport Harbour; the Bredy, 7 miles, running from Little Bredy to Burton Bradstock; the Wey, 5 miles, falling into Weymouth Bay; the Purbeck, 7 miles, from Corfe Castle to Swanage; and the Corfe from Corfe Castle to Poole Bay. Between the chalk ranges mentioned above are the upper formations of pipe clay, potter's clay, and plastic clay, with sand, known as the Poole trough. Beneath the potter's clay in Purbeck Isle and other places, a crumbly bituminous coal is found resembling Bovey coal. In Purbeck and Portland the white formations are found, and in the S., chalk, marl, greensand, weald clay, and iron-sand. In the N.W. and W. of the county greensand takes the place of chalk. No metallic ores are found, but the Portland and Purbeck stone-quarries are largely worked. In Purbeck the stone consists of argillaccous limestone, alternating with schistose marl. A variety of this is known as Purbeck marble. The Portland stone is a calcareous freestone. It is largely employed for building in London. The soil in the W. and most other parts of the county is a rich loam, suitable for wheat and barley. The most fertile district is the Vale of Blackmore. Round Bridport and Beaminster hemp and potatoes are principally produced. Irrigation is largely practised on the meadow lands; lime and seaweed form the chief manures. Full three fifths of the surface are pasture land. The downs are covered with sheep in the summer, which in the winter are brought down to the sheltered valleys. The South Down are largely bred. In Purbeck and near Weymouth there is a much smaller breed, resembling forest sheep. Butter and skim-milk cheese is sent up in large quantities to the London markets. Dorset is divided into the 9 following divisions, containing 34 hundreds and 22 liberties North Blandford, containing Coombsditch, Pimperne, and Rushmore hundreds, and Dewlish liberty; South Blandford, containing the boroughs of Corfe Castle, and Wareham, the hundreds of Bere Regis, Hundres Barrow, Hasilor, Rowbarrow, and Winfrith, and the liberties of Bindon, Overmoygne, and Stowoorough; Bridport, containing the boroughs of Bridport and Lyme Regis, the hundreds of Beaminster, Beaminster Forum, Eggerton, Godderthorn, and Whitchurch Canonicorum, and the liberties of Broad Windsor, Frampton, Lothers, and Poorstock; Cerne, containing Buckland Newton, Cerne, and Whiteway hundreds, and Alton-Pancras, Piddletrenthide, and Sydling St. Nicholas liberties; Dorchester, containing the boroughs of Dorchester and Melcomb Regis, united with Weymouth, the hundreds of Culliford-Tree, George, Tollesford, Piddletown, and Uggescombe, and the liberties of Fordington, Piddlehinton, Isle of Portland, Sutton Pointz, Wabyhouse, and Wyke Regis; East Shaftesbury or Shaston, containing Badbury, Cogdean, part of Cranborne, Knowlton, Loosebarrow, Monkton-up-Wimborne, part of Sixpenny Handley and Wimborne St. Giles hundreds; Shaftesbury, or Shaston West, containing the borough of Shaftesbury, parts of the hundreds of Cranborne and Sixpenny Handley, and the liberties of Alcester and Gillingham; Sherborne, containing Sherborne and Yetminster hundreds, and Halstock and Ryme Intrinseca liberties; and Sturminster, containing Brownshall, Redlane, and Sturminster Newton Castle hundreds, and the liberty of Stower or Stour Provost. The parishes number 269, exclusive of 8 in Dorchester, Wareham, and Shaftesbury. There are also parts of 2 others, and 4 extra-parochial places.
Cranborne is the largest parish in the county, and contains 13,730 acres. The following 19 are market towns: Dorchester, the county town, Shaftesbury, Wareham, Blandford, Wimborne, Minster, Beaminster, Sherborne, Bridport, Weymouth with Melcombe, Poole, Cerne Abbas, Sturminster, Lyme Regis, Corfe Castle, Stalbridge, Cranborne, Bere Regis, Swanage, and Milton Abbas; of these the last 4 have discontinued holding markets. The county is divided into 12 Poor-law Unions, being the first 12 of the places mentioned above. The first 5, with Bridport and Weymouth, are County Court districts. Dorset returns 14 members to parliament: 3 for the county, 2 each for Dorchester, Bridport, Poole, and Weymouth with Melcombe Regis, and 1 each for Lyme Regis, Shaftesbury, and Wareham, which includes Corfe Castle. The polling places for the county are-Dorchester, Wimborne, Wareham, Blandford, Beaminster, Sherborne, Shaftesbury, and Chesilton. The local government is vested in a lord-lieutenant and custos, high sheriff, about 60 deputy-lieutenants, and 210 magistrates. The county is in the south-western military district and the western circuit, and is under the Exeter bankruptcy jurisdiction. Sherborne was formerly the assize town, but the assizes are now always held at Dorchester, where the county gaol and shire-hall are. Quarter sessions are held at Dorchester, Blandford, Sherborne, Shaftesbury, and Bridport. The county lunatic asylum is at Charminster, about 1½ mile from Dorchester. It will accommodate 160 patients. The number of inhabited houses in the county in 1861 was 37,709, occupied by 188,789 persons. In 1851 the population was 184,207, showing an increase of 4,582 persons in the decennial period. Dorsetshire constitutes an archdeaconry in the diocese of Salisbury and archbishopric of Canterbury. It is subdivided into 5 deaneries-Bridport containing 62 livings, Dorchester 53, Pimperne 38, Shaftesbury 65, and Whitchurch Canonicorum 68. During the Saxon period Dorset belonged successively to the sees of Dorchester in Oxfordshire, Winchester, and Sherborne, whence the bishopric was removed to Salisbury in the 11th century. In 1542 it was transferred to the new diocese of Bristol, but was re-transferred to Salisbury by the late Act. The chief manufacture in the county is that of flax. At Bridport, canvas, sailcloth, rope, thread, and twine, are manufactured. There are also flax-mills at Beaminster, Burton Bradstock, Netherbury, and other places. Woollen goods are manufactured at Sturminster, Shaftesbury, and Lyme Regis, and worsted stockings at Wareham and Wimborne. The silk manufacture has also been introduced, and is carried on principally at Sherborne. Ships and yachts are built at Poole and Bridport. Shirt buttons are made largely at Shaftesbury and Blandford, and gloves at Cerne Abbas. Good ale is brewed in the county. The chief trade is from Poole, in coal, timber, and wine. The exports are Portland and Purbeck stone, clay for pottery, sheep, wool, butter, cheese, ale, cider, and mackerel. The antiquities in the county are very numerous, both of the British and Roman periods. Of the former the most interesting are-Agglestone barrows, near Studland; the Hellstone cromlech, a circle of stones near Winterbourne St. Martin; Celtic earthworks at Sutton Walrend; cromlechs at Little Breedy and Poxwell; Badbury and Maumbury rings, and numerous barrows. As many as twenty-five Roman camps have been discovered in Dorset. The remains of a Roman amphitheatre near Dorchester are still visible. Four Roman roads traversed the county-one on each bank of the Frome, from Dorchester to Stratton, where they unite, and beyond which they cannot be traced; another from Dorchester to Melcombe Regis, and the celebrated Via Icenia. This road enters Dorset from Wilts, near Woodyates Inn, passes between Gussage All Saints and Gussage St. Michael's, and proceeds to Long Critchill, Badbury camp and down, Shapwick Marsh, Sturminster Marshall, and Stinford Lane, entering Dorchester on the N. of St. Peter's church. It issues from the town on the N.W. side, and, passing Eggerton and Poorstock, leaves the county, and proceeds to Exeter. In many parts the road has been destroyed for the materials. It is called by various names, Ickening or Icknield Road being the general name for the road in all the counties through which it passes. Between Woodyates and the Gussages it is known as Ackling Dike, and to the W. of Dorchester as the Ridgeway. In this county are the remains of Corfe Castle; also castle ruins at Brownsea and Portland. The religious houses in Dorset were twenty-nine in number at the Reformation. There were Benedictine and Cistercian abbeys at Bindon, Cerne, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Abbotsbury, Cranborne, Horton, and Milton; and priories at Dorchester, Bridport, Wareham, Loders, Frampton, and Spettisbury, besides others of less importance. Sherborne Abbey possessed a vineyard at the time of the compilation of Domesday Book; the hospital and cathedral church still remain. Wimborne, which, as well as Sherborne, was the seat of a bishopric, possesses a very fine old minster. Stalbridge church is a very ancient building, with an embattled tower, which has recently been repaired. In the marketplace there is an old cross, on a base of three steps; it measures 30 feet in height. Affpuddle church, originally belonging to Cerise Abbey, contains some fine carving. At West Chickerell there is an early English church, which formed part of Bindon Abbey, and which contains a Norman stone font, and at the W. end two large bells suspended under stone arches. Other towns and villages possessing interesting churches are: Dewlish, Handley, Lytchett Maltravers, Maiden Newton, Piddlehinton, containing several curious brasses, Shapwick, Spettisbury, Swanage, and Wyke Regis. -The seats of the nobility and gentry are: Sherborne Castle, of Earl Digby, where Sir W. Raleigh lived; Eastbury Park, of Duke of Buckingham; Stalbridge Park, Marquis of Anglesea; Cranborne Lodge, Marquis of Salisbury; Motcombe, Marquis of Westminster; Encombe, Earl Eldon; Melbury House, Earl Ilchester; Milton Abbey, Earl Portarlington; Wimborne St. Giles, Earl Shaftesbury; Bryanstone, Lord Portman; Rushmore Lodge, Lord Rivers; Down House and Sydling, of Smith, Bart.; Gaunt's House, of Glynne, Bart.; Loder's House and Mapperton, Nepean, Bart.; Parnham House, Oglander, Bart.; Raunston House, Baker, Bart.; Sans Souci, Scott, Bart.; Rhode Hill, Admiral Talbot; Bloxworth, Pickhard; Brideheed, Williams; Charboro' Park, Drax; Critchell House, Sturt; Dewlish, Mitchell; Edmondesham, Monro; Frampton House, Sheridan; Stowborough Grange, Bond; Handford House, Seymer; Henbury, Parston; Herringstone Lodge, Williams; Kingston House, Pitt; Langton, Farquharson; Lulworth, Weld; Mansion, Yeatman; Moor Critchell, Okedon; Nottington House, Steward; Strode House, Gollop; Studland, Bankes; Thornhill House, Boucher; Turnworth, Davis; Upton, Doughty; West Stafford, Floyer; Whatcombe, Pleydell; Wolveton, Trenchard; and many others. The county formerly gave the title of Marquis of Dorset to the Beauforts and the Greys, and Earl of Dorset to the Sackvilles. The London and South-Western railway passes through Dorset, entering the county near Ringwood in Hants. The chief stations are Wimborne Minster, Wareham, and Dorchester, whence it proceeds in a north-westerly direction past Stratton and Frampton to Yeovillage There are branches from Wimborne through Blandford, Sturminster Newton, and Stalbridge; a short branch to Poole; others from Dorchester to Weymouth, and from Maiden Newton to Bridport. The Exeter line also passes through portions of Dorsetshire, and the stations of Gillingham, Sherborne, and Chardstock, are in that county. The high roads from Dorchester are as follows:-to Weycombe, 7 miles, and Portland, 11. To Owre Moyne 7; Wool, 12; Wareham, 18; Corfe Castle, 22; and Swanage Bay, 27. To Piddletown, 5; Bere Regis, 11; Poole, 22; to Bournemouth and Christchurch, 32. To Charborough, 16; Wimborne Minster, 21; and Ringwood, 30. To Cranborne, 30; and Fordingbridge, 37. Blandford, 16; Eastbury Park, 22; and Salisbury, 40. By Blandford to Shaftesbury, 31. To Cerne Abbas, 7; Mintern Magna, 9; Sherborne, 17; and Yeovil, 23. By Mintern Magna to Lydlinch, 17; Stalbridge, 20; to Sturminster Newton, 20. To Longbridge, 6; Bridport, 15; Lyme Regis, 24; and Axminster, 27. To Beaminster, 17; and Chard, 28. To Crewkerne, by Chadlington, 20. There are no canals in the county."
