Dorset

Dorset lies on England’s south coast along the English Channel, with coastline shaped by limestone and clay. The county includes stretches of the Jurassic Coast, where fossil-rich cliffs around Lyme Regis and Charmouth record 185 million years of Earth history. Along the shore the 18-mile shingle ridge of Chesil Beach links the mainland to the Isle of Portland and shelters the Fleet lagoon behind it. Poole Harbour, a large natural harbour, opens into the channel and contains Brownsea Island, known for its red squirrel population and the site of the first Scout camp in 1907. Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove sit on the coastline as well-known rock formations formed by coastal erosion.

Inland, Dorchester is the county town and preserves Roman and medieval remains alongside Victorian streets. Farming and fishing remain part of the local economy, while small ports and market towns serve surrounding rural parishes. Literary connections run through the area: Thomas Hardy set much of his Wessex fiction here and his homes, including Max Gate, are in Dorchester. Transport is mainly by road and rail radiating from the larger towns to the coastal settlements.