Dorchester
Dorchester is a market town in southern central Dorset,
England, on the River Frome at the junction of the A35
and A37 roads, 20 miles (32 km) west of Poole and 8
miles (13 km) north of Weymouth. In 2001 the town had
a population of 16,171 and a catchment population of
approximately 40,000. There were 7,386 dwellings in
2001 and 205 shops in 1991. Dorchester has been the
county town of Dorset since 1305.
A
market is held on Wednesdays. Major employers include
Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council
and Dorset County Hospital.
The
town has two private schools, three first schools, two
middle schools and one upper school. The upper school,
The Thomas Hardye School, can trace its origins back
to 1569, when it was founded by a Dorchester merchant
of that name. The Dorset County Museum is centrally
located in a Gothic-style building.
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