Dorchester is a happy example of an old fashioned county town, a proper market centre for the still-rural county. Daniel Defoe visited in the early 18th century and decided 'a man that coveted a retreat in this world might as agreeably spend his time in Dorchester, as in any town I know in England'. Defoe had seen most of the towns in England, travelling to write his Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain (1724), so his opinion was worth having.

With its bustling shopping precincts, elegant 18th century houses, broad Walks and vital cultural life, Dorchester has much to offer in relaxation and rural charm. It still has much of Hardy's Casterbridge about it but, at Maiden Castle, its history goes back to the Iron Age. Elsewhere, Roman relics and vestiges of Saxon royalty vie with re-creations of Tutankhamun's Egypt, while modern interpretations of vernacular architecture create new vistas, championed by Prince Charles.

In 1685, Judge Jeffreys presided here over the Bloody Assize following Monmouth's defeat at Sedgemoor, while in 1834, the Tolpuddle six were deported from here for their part in forming a union.

Things to see and do in Dorchester - Maiden Castle, Roman Town House, Dorset County Museum, Keep Military Museum, Tutankhamun's Exhibition, Teddy Bear House, Old Crown Court & Cells, Eldridge Pope Brewery Tours, Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre/Swimming Pool, Art Centre.

There are many places of interest and beauty to visit nearby. Picturesque villages and old towns all featured in Thomas Hardy's novels and varied largely unspoiled countryside. With landmarks such as Max Gate and Hangman's Cottage in Dorchester to Maiden Castle and the Cerne Giant found in the surrounding area.

THE JURASSIC COAST

Yellowham Farmhouse is also ideally situated to explore the Jurassic Coast.

Britain has a new heritage site to rank alongside America's Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia -the "Jurassic Coast" of Dorset and east Devon. The 95 mile strip has become the first natural site in the country to be given World Heritage Site status by Unesco, the United Nations cultural organisation.

The Jurassic Coast is considered to be the only place in the world displaying unbroken evidence of 180 million years of evolution.

Dinosaur footprints have been identified in the limestone coves and headlands of Purbeck and the Isle of Portland. Visible on the cliffs around Lyme Regis are several layers of geological history.

In 1999, a previously unknown species of dinosaur was discovered near Lyme by a local fossil hunter, prompting the UN designation.