County Dossier
Dorset
A county of chalk downs, ancient hillforts, coast.
Dorset is a maritime county on England’s south coast, renowned for its extraordinary variety of landscapes. Poole thrives thanks to Poole Harbour, a vast and deep natural harbour.
At a glance
Dorset at a glance
A county of chalk downs, ancient hillforts, coast.
- Dornsǣt: “dwellers of Dorn”
- Wessex shire by the 8th century
- Domesday (1086): Dornescire
- Area: 1,005 sq miles / 2,603 km²
- Population: 543,296
- County top: Lewesdon Hill 915 ft / 279 m
County Geography
Dorset faces the English Channel to the south and meets Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. Its shape is organised by downland, harbour water, and the projecting Purbeck side rather than by one single inland line.
Coast, chalk ridge, and harbour give Dorset a strong territorial form.
Map Reference
View Dorset on the map
Dorset is the county. The map also shows lieutenancies and council areas that use the county name.
The county.
The lieutenancy.
Council areas.
Places and routes
Dorchester, Weymouth, Poole, Sherborne, and Swanage show the county from its inland centre and west-east route country to its harbour, peninsula, and south-coast frontage.
Connections
The county’s routes run between Dorchester, the harbour side, the west-country road, and the coast. Movement follows Dorset’s downland, harbour, and shore rather than a single inland axis.
Names
- Dorset
- County of Dorset
- Dorsetshire
County Reference
Explore Dorset
Open the map to explore Dorset, or return to the county index to browse other counties.