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Take a Walk through Dorchester’s History

Monday, July 18th, 2011
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This summer there is a unique opportunity to explore Dorchester’s long and colourful history and heritage. The Dorchester BID, together with the Chamber of Commerce, are funding a series of free walks around the town, of between 30 and 40 minutes in duration.

Dorchester Town Crier Alistair Chisholm

Dorchester Town Crier Alistair Chisholm

The walks are being led by Alistair Chisholm, Dorchester’s award-winning town crier and experienced Blue Badge Guide. His relaxed and gregarious style will ensure that each walk is both an entertaining experience and an opportunity to enrich your understanding of the town and its history.

The walks will aim to highlight what makes Dorchester such a special and unique place – after all, where else can you see fantastically preserved roman ruins alongside wonderful examples of Victorian architecture and garden landscaping?

As you make your way through Dorchester’s streets, Alistair Chisholm will vividly bring to life Dorchester’s fascinating and sometimes dark past, shedding light on notorious historical episodes such as Judge Jeffreys’ Bloody Assizes. He will also give readings from the works of Thomas Hardy, the Dorchester resident who found worldwide fame with novels and poems inspired by the town and countryside around him.

Dorchester Walks Every Wednesday

The Dorchester walks will be taking place every Wednesday for the next nine weeks (13th July-14th September), with the first and second walks of the day taking place at 11am and 12.30pm respectively outside Panini’s on Brewery Square (opposite the Wednesday market).

The third and final walk will depart from the town pump in South Street at 2pm. Each of the three walks will cover a different iconic part of the town, including Maumbury Rings, the Borough Gardens, and the Roman Wall.

Remember, these entertaining and highly informative walks are completely free! Either turn up on the day or pre-book by phone on 07773 286197. Don’t miss out on the chance to discover the rich and varied history of Dorchester – “the small town with a big story!”

Here’s a taster of Alistair’s storytelling abilities…

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10 Facts about Dorchester

Friday, August 6th, 2010
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St Peters Church & The Corn Exchange

St Peters Church & The Corn Exchange

Dorchester is a popular welcoming UK tourist destination and attracts a large number of visitors every year drawn to its historical sites, beautiful scenery and close proximity to the Jurassic Coast.

Dorchester is a historical market town in southern central Dorset, England, just a 2.5 hours drive or train ride from London.

It has an amazing and ancient past and we hope you enjoy reading our 10 facts about this delightful town.

  1. Dorchester has been the county town of Dorset since 1305 and celebrated the 700th anniversary of its Royal Charter in 2005.  Dorchester has a population of 18,070 (2008 mid year estimate) and 8,650 dwellings. Poundbury is an experimental new town on the outskirts of Dorchester and the traditional style houses are built on land owned by Prince Charles.
  2. Maiden Castle, just two miles south of Dorchester town centre, is the largest Iron Age hill fort in Britain and, by some definitions, the largest in Europe. Maiden Castle originally constructed around 600 BC is one of several ancient hill forts in the area, although many are either too small to be clearly seen or have been destroyed over time.
  3. Maumbury Rings is the site of a giant Henge monument constructed at least 4500 years ago, probably by the inhabitants of Maiden Castle. Later the Romans adapted the same site creating an amphitheatre capable of holding 10,000 people. Maumbury Rings is still used today as the Romans intended, with occasional outdoor performances and historical re-enactments.
  4. Dorchester was founded by the Romans around 70D (when it was called Durnovaria). Evidence of Roman settlement and influence in the area can be seen at the Roman Town House at Colliton Park, Dorchester, one of the best preserved examples of a Roman Town House in England. The Roman Town House in Dorchester was discovered, almost by chance, in 1937 during an archaeological dig and the earliest part of the Town House dates from the first part of 4th Century.
  5. In the early years Dorchester’s main industry was farming and during the 16th and 17th centuries it had a successful wool industry but in the 18th century it died out due to competition with northern towns. However in the 18th century Dorchester became known for its brewing industry. Much of the town was destroyed by fire in the 17th and 18th centuries and most of the buildings visible today date from Georgian times.
  6. Every town has its villain and Dorchester is famed for its ‘Hanging Judge’. In 1685 a rebellion broke out in South-western England led by the Duke of Monmouth. In 1685, Judge Jeffreys came to Dorchester and he sat in trial of the supporters of the Duke of Monmouth and their failed rebellion against King James II.  The Bloody Assizes (court trial) were held in the Oak Room (now a Tea Room) of the Antelope Hotel on the 5th day of September 1685. Jeffreys didn’t believe in half measures and became known as the Hanging Judge because of the punishments he had given to the supporters of the Duke.
  7. The famous author and poet Thomas Hardy was born at Higher Bockhampton located three miles northeast of Dorchester on the 2nd June 1840. While in Dorchester ‘Casterbridge’ you can retrace the route of the ‘Mellstock Quire’ characters from his novel ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ and climb to ‘Rainbarrow’ as Eustacia Vye in ‘Return of the Native’. The Hardy Society has published tours and trails of the individual novels and poems with biographical detail.
  8. The Crown Court in Dorchester was the setting for the 1834 trial of the “Tolpuddle Martyrs,” a group of 6 brave men from the nearby village of Tolpuddle who protested against pay cuts by wealthy landowners. Their bravery marked a milestone in British trade unionism and workers rights. The farm workers who went on to become local heroes were found guilty and transported to Australia – after public protest they were pardoned after 2 years. The court room and cells still remain and are preserved as they were at the time.
  9. Dorchester’s award winning family friendly County Museum is the perfect starting point for an exploration of the history of town and the surrounding area. The Dorset County Museum houses a fantastic array of fascinating galleries, dealing with a wide range of subjects including archaeology, art, and history and contains the largest Thomas Hardy memorabilia collection in the world, the bulk of which was bequeathed to the Museum by his second wife Florence Hardy.For a small town Dorchester also has a marvellous collection of specialist museums to delight and educate visitors of all ages.  The Dinosaur Museum, Mummies Museum, Dorset County Museum, The Keep Military Museum, Terracotta Warriors Museum and Teddy Bear Museum are highly recommended.
  10. There is no longer a cattle market in the town, however, you can still sample the lively market day atmosphere every Wednesday. At Dorchester market you can enjoy sampling local farm produce and find stalls filled with crafts, antiques and clothes. On the first Saturday of every month a Farmer’s Market is held at Prince Charles’ internationally renowned Poundbury.

The “Discover Dorchester Secrets” route is the perfect way to take in great views, enjoy the inviting ambiance of the town, and visit a host of notable attractions along the way. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2005/04/20/dorchester_walk.shtml

If you would like to add you own facts about Dorchester why not add them in the comments box below.

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The Oak Room Dorchester

Thursday, June 10th, 2010
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Our market town of Dorchester is steeped in history with an abundance of visitor attractions and shops and restaurants for visitors to explore. One hidden gem with historic credentials that is well worth seeking out is the tea rooms at The Oak Room located in Dorchester’s Antelope Walk in South Street.

History

Inside The Oak Room, Dorchester

Inside The Oak Room, Dorchester

The Oak Room dates back to 1589 and was famously used by Judge Jeffreys ‘the Hanging Judge’ as the courtroom of the Bloody Assizes when in September of 1685, 302 cases were heard, of which a total of 74 of the accused were executed, 175 transported, 9 fined or whipped and 54 discharged. Jeffreys didn’t believe in half measures and hanged, transported, whipped and fined hundreds of the unfortunate accused.

During this period Judge Jeffreys lodged at 6 High West Street Dorchester, (now the restaurant, Judge Jeffreys) and for his own protection used a secret passage linking his house with the Oak Room of the Antelope Hotel. This tunnel is wide and high, with enough room for two to three people to walk side by side.

The ghost of Judge Jeffreys is said to haunt the Antelope courtyard.

The Oak Room – Present Day

The Oak Room entrance in Antelope Walk

The Oak Room entrance in Antelope Walk

Today the The Oak Room in Dorchester has a much more pleasurable and relaxing use.

Now housing traditional style tea rooms the Oak Room retains the beautiful oak-panelling and has a wonderfully welcoming ambience. Table service is provided by waitresses in ‘Nippy’ uniform, based on the old style Lyons Corner House service.

The whole experience is so very different from that of modern coffee chains common to our high streets these days.

A customer review on www.dorchesterpeople.co.uk said

“A visit to the Oak Room tea room in Dorchester is like a step back in time! The waitresses wear old-fashioned pinnies and serve cucumber sandwiches, cream teas and home made cakes. The Oak Room also does good, simple hot food like soup and jacket potatoes, so it’s a great place to stop for something warming while out shopping in Dorchester.”

The tea rooms are open every day  from 9.30 am to 4.30pm (except Sunday) serving morning coffee, mouth watering light lunches, afternoon teas and delicious Dorset cream teas.

Antelope Walk

After a refreshing snack you’ll be ready to explore the present day Antelope walk which still retains its historical charm and ambience with an arcade of tempting shops lining the pedestrianised cobbled street. Dorchester Tourist Information Centre is sited at the top end of the walk from where you can find more details on Dorchester Town, and its tourist attractions.

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History of Judge Jeffreys

Thursday, December 17th, 2009
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Judge Jeffreys

Judge Jeffreys

Dorchester is a beautiful English market town with a rich and varied past. Its history is inextricably linked with one of England’s most notorious judges, the “hanging judge” George Jeffreys, and the scene of his many trials can still be experienced by visitors today.

Judge George Jeffreys was born in 1648 on the family estate of Acton Hall, Wrexham in North Wales, he was the sixth son of John and Margaret Jeffreys. Educated at Cambridge, he was appointed Solicitor General to the Duke of York, and was knighted in 1677.  He became recorder of London in 1678, and at age 33, he became Lord Chief Justice of England and a privy counsellor, later becoming Lord Chancellor. In 1683, he became Baron Jeffreys of Wem.

In 1685, Judge Jeffreys came to Dorchester and stayed at 6 High West Street Dorchester, (now the Prezzo Restaurant, Judge Jeffreys).  It was built in the early 17th century, and is one of the few timber-framed buildings to survive Dorchester’s disastrous town fires. Here he sat in trial of the supporters of the Duke of Monmouth and their failed rebellion against King James II.  The Bloody Assizes were held in the Oak Room (now a Tea Room) of the Antelope Hotel on the 5th day of September 1685 (an assize were courts originally initiated by King Henry II (1154-1189), where he would send judges all over the country to preside over local cases). Judge Jeffreys is said to have had a secret passage from his lodgings to the Oak Room.  Jeffreys didn’t believe in half measures and hanged, transported, whipped and fined hundreds of the unfortunate accused.

Judge Jeffreys headed up the investigative team and became known as the Hanging Judge because of the punishments he had given to the supporters of the Duke.  In Dorset a total of seventy-four people were condemned to be hung, drawn and quartered, the heads of some being displayed on spikes outside St. Peters church in Dorchester, opposite the Judges lodgings.  One hundred and seventy five of Monmouth’s supporters were transported abroad and only twenty nine were pardoned. Executions were also carried out in towns and villages close to Dorchester. Monmouth himself was beheaded on Tower Hill in London on 15 July 1685.

Following the Glorious Revolution in 1688, James II the Catholic King left for France. Jeffreys was the only high legal authority in James’s abandoned kingdom left to perform the political duties. When the armies of William were approaching London, Jeffreys attempted to flee the country disguised as a sailor. He was captured in a public house and was recognized by a surviving judicial victim. Jeffreys was sent to the Tower of London “for his own safety”, where he died on April 18, 1689 aged 44, as the result of kidney disease. The painful kidney disease may well have affected his unbridled temper and added to this reputation. He was originally buried in the Chapel Royal of Saint Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London. In 1692 his body was moved to St Mary Aldermanbury, which was destroyed along with all traces of Jeffreys’ grave in a 1941 German air raid.

Judge Jeffreys Prezzo Restaurant in Dorchester

Judge Jeffreys Prezzo Restaurant in Dorchester

Judge Jeffreys attended many of the hangings in person, and his ghost is said to haunt several West Country locations as well as his own home at Walton on Thames.

Why not visit Dorchester and follow the historic story of Judge Jeffreys for yourself. With lots of great hotel accommodation in Dorchester and B&Bs in Dorchester it is the perfect place to base your stay and explore the beautiful Dorset countryside.

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Dorchester a Brief History

Friday, October 16th, 2009
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Dorchester is a beautiful English market town with a rich and varied past- here’s a brief history of Dorchester as a taster of what you might find when visiting Dorchester.

The chalk hillside on which the county town of Dorchester now stands originally formed part of the complex prehistoric landscape. Impressive archaeological monuments in and around the town bear witness to some 6,000 years of human activity, the most famous being Maiden Castle, an Iron Age hillfort to the southwest.

Durnovia

Dorchester was first recongnizable as a town (”Durnovia”) in Roman times, mainly inhabited by Romanised members of the native “Durotriges” tribe. With its fine buildings, roads, town walls and a sophisticated piped water supply, Durnovia is though to have been the regional administtative centre.

Medieval Dorchester

Medieval Dorchester generally prospered, trade being stimulated by the presence of a castle, friary, churches and mills, with regular fairs and market days.

In the 18th century beer replaced woollen cloth as Dorchester’s main prioduct, and still holds that position. After numerous fires, most of the old timber and thatched buildings were rebuilt or refaced with local stone and the increasingly fashionable brick.

This gave Dorchester its mix of predominantly 18th and 19th centruy street fronts, so familiar to the famous Dorset Novelist Thomas Hardy who called the agricultural town “Catserbridge”. Today, Dorchester is an attractive tourist centre, with a population of around 15,000.

St Peter’s and Corn Exchange

Busy market stalls in front of the mainly 15th centruy church of St. Peter in High West Street formed the hub of medieval Dorchester. The clock turret was an 1864 addition to the Town Hall and the Corn Exchange was built during 1847-8.

Judge Jeffreys and No. 6 High West Street

Number 6 High West Street, built in the early 17th century, is on eof the few timber-framed buildings to survive Dorchester’s disastrous town fires. It is believed to have been the lodging of the notoriously has Lord Chief Justice Jeffrey, who tried 300 people at the “Bloody Assize” in Dorchester in 1685, after the Monmouth rebellion.

Borough Gardens

The Borough Gardens stand in the centre of the town. They were laid out in 1895 partly on the site of a large nursery. The cast iron clock tower, built in 1905 was donated by Charles Hansford, a magistrate and benefactor to the local hospital. The bandstand was erected in 1898 and is still used today.

River Walk

Minutes from High East Street, this peaceful river walk skirts the hill on which the castle once stood. The river, an offshoot of the River Frome and one-time millstream, has long been Dorchester’s north-eastern boundary. A full circuit can be completed along the tree line “Walks”, laid out in the 18th century on the line of the defensive Roman town walls and ditches.

St George’s, Fordington

St George’s 15th century tower dominates Fordington,, once a separate farming village south-east of Dorchester and the site of numerous Roman extra-mural burials. The church contains a Roman tombstone and has an unusual stone carving dating from c.1100 over the south door.

Napper’s Mite

Napper’s Mite in South Street, is a former almshouse founded by Sir Robert Napper in 1615. Built to house “ten aged men” after a town fire in which 300 houses were destroyed it now contains shops and a restaurant.

With its fascinating history and location in one of the finest parts of Dorset, Dorchester has a blend of modern and old, it’s well worth a visit.

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