Dorchester

The county town of Dorset and home of Thomas Hardy on which he based his fictional Casterbridge, Dorchester has many attractions to offer visitors.

Hardy was born at nearby Higher Bockhampton and spent the last 40 years of his life at Dorchester in a house he designed himself. Both houses are now owned by the National trust and are open to the public.

The Dorset County Museum houses a reconstruction of his study besides having the largest Hardy collection in the world. The museum also has a number of other galleries about archeaology, geology and local history together with video and interactive displays and an audio-guide.

In 1685 Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys, infamously known as the 'hanging judge', came to Dorchester to hold his 'bloody assizes', the trials of the supporters of the Duke of Monmouth following his failed rebellion. The trials resulted in 74 executions, 175 transportations and 29 pardons and the lodgings where Judge Jeffreys stayed is today a restaurant of the same name.

Dorchester is also home to many specialist museums including an award winning dinosaur museum, the Dorset Teddy Bear Museum, the Keep Military Museum, the Terracotta Warriors display and the Tutankhamun Exhibition.

For shopaholics, Dorchester has a centrally located, pedestrianised shopping area and a large open-air market every Wednesday.

More information at:

the National Trust - Hardy's Cottage website

the National Trust - Maxgate website,

www.thedinosaurmuseum.com, www.teddybearhouse.co.uk, 

www.keepmilitarymuseum.org,www.terracottawarriors.co.uk and 

www.tutankhamun-exhibition.co.uk

The Frampton Arms - Inn & Restaurant is based in the beautiful village of Moreton, resting place of Laurence of Arabia and surrounded by beautiful equestrian grounds Moreton is a gorgeous village with the Frampton Arms Inn ready to refresh and make your stay in Moreton an enjoyable one.