|
 In
1685 Judge Jeffries presided here over the 'Bloody Assizes'
following Monmouth's
rebellion and defeat at the battle of Sedgemoor. He ordered the
hanging of 74 men. The Tolpuddle Martyrs were deported from
Dorchester to Australia in 1834 following their attempts to form a
trade union.
Wednesday
is market day in Dorchester, where "every street, alley and
precinct announces old Rome". (Thomas Hardy , from his novel
'The Mayor of Casterbridge'). Hardy was born in 1840 at Higher
Brockhampton, near Dorchester. Later in his life he returned to this
part of Dorset and set up home at Max Gate, a house of his own
design in the town, and where he died in 1928. Max Gate and
the cottage where he was born are open to the public. Various tours
of 'Hardy's Country' are available - see below.
Like
many towns in this part of Dorset, you have to be fit as the main
street rises up a steep hill! The lovely Georgian buildings, to be
found mostly off the main street, give the town a very elegant feel.
But do not stay just in the town - a must when visiting this part of
Dorset is a visit to Maiden Castle, the huge and complex Iron Age
fort just outside the town. Marvel at the sheer scale of the
earthworks built with such primitive tools.
And
don't forget the beautiful coast - Lyme Regis, where 'The French
Lieutenants Woman' was filmed, has a lovely harbour and small sandy
beach. The town's streets seem to tumble down the steep hill into
the sea! West Bay, or as it used to be called, Bridport
Harbour, is where the T.V. series 'Harbour Lights' is filmed.
 Selected
Attractions in Dorchester
Tours
Various tours are available. Town Walking Tour - takes between 1
and 2 hours and includes ancient and Roman sites, Dorset celebrities
and a visit to the Old Crown Court and Cells. Thomas Hardy Tours.
Hardy Trail. Ghost tours. Details from the Tourist Information
Centre, Dorchester Tel: +44 (0)1305 267 992
The
Keep Military Museum Tel: + 44 (0) 1305 264 066
300 years of history. Spectacular views from the ramparts.
Max
Gate Tel: + 44 (0) 1305 262 538
House that Thomas Hardy designed himself and lived in
from 1885 until his death in 1928.
Dorset County Museum Tel: + 44 (0)
1305 262 735
A Victorian building housing 14 display rooms, including the new
award-winning Dorset writer's gallery, Roman mosaics, local history,
and Thomas Hardy's famous study.
Old Crown Court and Cells Tel: + 44 (0)
1305 252 241
Famous for the trial of the Tolpuddle Martyrs in 1834.
Guided tours of the Cells during the summer holidays.
Tutankhamun - The Exhibition Tel: + 44 (0)
1305 269 571
The world's greatest discovery of ancient treasure re-created
through sight, sound and smell in this amazing exhibition.
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