119-633: Wilts & Dorset was a bus and coach operator providing services in East Dorset , South Wiltshire and West Hampshire . It was purchased by Go-Ahead Group in 2003 and was rebranded as Morebus in Dorset and Salisbury Reds in Wiltshire in 2012. Wilts & Dorset Motor Services Limited was incorporated in 1915, with its head office in Amesbury , Wiltshire, moving to Salisbury in 1917. The company's first route
238-529: A National Trail , begins at South Haven Point at the entrance to Poole Harbour. There are also substantial areas of green belt surrounding the South East Dorset conurbation , filling in the area between this and the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB. Dorset's climate of warm summers and mild winters is partly due to its position on Britain's south coast. The third most southerly county in
357-597: A Roman ruin described by Historic England as the "only Roman town house visible in Britain"; Athelhampton , a Tudor manor house; Forde Abbey , a stately home and former Cistercian monastery; Christchurch Priory , the longest church in England; and St Edwold's church , one of the smallest. Dorset hosts a number of annual festivals, fairs and events including the Great Dorset Steam Fair near Blandford, one of
476-434: A Volkswagen Golf and a Porsche ; the latter was driving away from the chain ferry on Ferry Road and crashed head on with the bus and the other car. A number of passengers reported the bus travelled a distance on two wheels and the eventual toppling took place at low speed. The top-deck passengers were all thrown off onto soft ground in a ditch and six passengers were taken to Poole Hospital with minor injuries. The driver of
595-403: A heathland habitat which sustains all six native British reptile species. Most of the Dorset heathland has Site of Special Scientific Interest status, with three areas designated as internationally important Ramsar sites . In the far west of the county and along the coast there are frequent changes in rock strata, which appear in a less obviously sequential way compared to the landscapes of
714-617: A Key smartcard free-of-charge or for a small charge from all operators which accept The Key, or from any Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern railway station ticket office. The Key functions across all operators which use it, regardless of where it was obtained. From March 2020 until late 2022, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operated 12 Key smartcard kiosks. These were standalone, self-operated machines that could issue standard adult Key smartcards by providing your personal details. These were removed when all GTR ticket offices were updated to support vending new smartcards. Before their removal,
833-575: A chalk downland. The highest point in Dorset is Lewesdon Hill (279 m (915 ft)), in the southwest. There is evidence of Neolithic , Celtic , and Roman settlement in Dorset, and during the Early Middle Ages the region was settled by the Saxons ; the county developed in the 7th century. The first recorded Viking raid on the British Isles occurred in Dorset during the eighth century, and
952-469: A customer has forgotten to tap in or out, or has not done so within the maximum journey time allowed of 4 hours and 35 minutes, a penalty fare of £25 was charged. From 24 January 2018, customers can amend incomplete journeys themselves from their online account to fill in missed touches to prevent a penalty fare being charged. Journeys must be amended before the Wednesday after the journey was made, otherwise
1071-425: A linked payment method. Customers can also have any positive balance on their keyGo account refunded to them through the keyGo section of Southern or Thameslink's websites. From 13 February 2021, customers can no longer add credit to their keyGo balance at Payzone locations. Users of keyGo tap in and out when entering and exiting railway stations or riding buses within the keyGo area, and the cheapest possible fare
1190-529: A member of Govia Thameslink Railway staff. keyGo was not capable of providing railcard discounts when it was first released. On 2 September 2020, GTR announced that select railcards may be added to an online keyGo account to provide discounts on rail and PlusBus transport. Railcards must be approved by GTR before discounts are applied. The ITSO standard provides a system for transit via credit balances named stored travel rights, but keyGo does not use this facility for its ticketing. keyGo stores itself as
1309-620: A multitude of other services, primarily run by the Go-Ahead Group, who are the parent company of the Oxford Bus Company. The Key brand is owned and operated by the Go-Ahead Group . The Key is available to customers on the majority of the deregulated bus services operated by the Go-Ahead Group in towns and cities across England. Due to it being ITSO-compatible, it can also be used across the entire UK rail network. Customers may order
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#17330846561711428-406: A negative impact on the tourist trade, particularly when popular areas are closed for military manoeuvres. Other major employers in the county include: BAE Systems , Sunseeker International , J.P. Morgan , Cobham plc and Bournemouth University . Dorset's three ports, Poole, Weymouth and Portland , and the smaller harbours of Christchurch, Swanage, Lyme Regis, Wareham and West Bay generate
1547-566: A number of his works in Dorset, such as the novels Maiden Castle and Weymouth Sands . Children's author Enid Blyton drew inspiration for many of her works from Dorset. The 19th-century poet William Barnes was born in Bagber and wrote many poems in his native Dorset dialect . Originating from the ancient Norse and Saxon languages, the dialect was prevalent across the Blackmore Vale but has fallen into disuse. Dorset's flag , which
1666-675: A penalty fare of £25 will be charged. Only three journeys can be amended in a 28 day period. Additional amendments must be made by contacting GTR's customer service team. The keyGo system will attempt to auto-fill missing touches based on the customer's journey history with the Key and any valid tickets held on the smartcard at the time. From 27 March 2023, the incomplete journey charge was increased to £50, and journeys can only be amended within 48 hours after traveling. Collection of incomplete journey charges from this date onwards will also be automated, whereas previously they had to be manually collected by
1785-465: A period pass (season ticket) on the ITSO smartcard with no origin or destination. This period pass is then read by ITSO-compatible smartcard readers within the keyGo area, and interpreted as valid authority to travel. On rail, the smartcard reader will update the card with a transient ticket, adding either the origin or destination points on such a transient ticket as appropriate. On buses, no transient ticket
1904-570: A population of 772,268. Around half of the population lives in the South East Dorset conurbation , which contains three of the county's largest settlements: Bournemouth (183,491), Poole (151,500), and Christchurch (31,372). The remainder of the county is largely rural, and its principal towns are Weymouth (53,427) and Dorchester (21,366). Dorset contains two unitary authority areas : Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and Dorset . The county did not historically include Bournemouth and Christchurch, which were part of Hampshire. Dorset has
2023-437: A positive effect on local businesses and tourism. Tourism has grown in Dorset since the late 18th century and is now the predominant industry. It is estimated that 37,500 people work in Dorset's tourism sector. Some 3.2 million British and 326,000 foreign tourists visited the county in 2008, staying a total of 15.1 million nights. In addition there were 14.6 million day visitors. The combined spending of both groups
2142-523: A professional or technical capacity (Standard Occupational Classification 2010, groups 1–3), just over 10.3% are administrators or secretaries (group 4), around 12.8% have a skilled trade (group 5), over 18% are employed at a low-level in the care, leisure, sales or customer relations sector (groups 6 and 7) and 14.8% are operatives or in elementary occupations (groups 8 and 9). Local government in Dorset consists of two unitary authorities (UA): Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council , which governs
2261-802: A review by the Local Government Commission for England , Bournemouth and Poole each became administratively independent single-tier unitary authorities in 1997. For representation in Parliament Dorset is divided into eight Parliamentary constituencies—five county constituencies and three borough constituencies . At the 2017 general election , the Conservative Party was dominant, taking all eight seats. The borough constituencies of Bournemouth East , Bournemouth West and Poole were traditionally Conservative safe seats and were all represented by Conservative members of parliament until
2380-473: A seasonal service to the Channel Islands and St Malo , France. Poole and Portland harbours are capable of taking cruise liners. Bournemouth Airport , on the edge of Hurn village 6 kilometres (4 mi) north of Bournemouth, has scheduled and charter flights. Morebus and Damory provide a county wide bus network with frequent services linking major towns, including Bournemouth, Poole and Wimborne, and
2499-551: A service for those who live in the western districts of Dorset. The South West Main Line runs through the south at Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and the terminus at Weymouth. Additionally, the Heart of Wessex Line runs north from Weymouth to Bristol and the Swanage Railway , a heritage steam and diesel railway , runs the 10 kilometres (6 mi) between Norden and Swanage. Dorset
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#17330846561712618-706: A ship from Gascony . The disease, more commonly known as the Black Death , created an epidemic that spread rapidly and wiped out a third of the population of the country. Dorset came under the political influence of a number of different nobles during the Middle Ages. During the Wars of the Roses, for instance, Dorset came into the area influenced by Humphrey Stafford, earl of Devon (originally of Hooke , Dorset) whose wider influence stretched from Cornwall to Wiltshire. After 1485, one of
2737-423: A substantial amount of international trade and tourism. Around 230 fishing vessels that predominantly catch crab and lobster are based in Dorset's ports. When the waters around Weymouth and Portland were chosen for the sailing events in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games , the area underwent an increased investment in infrastructure and a growth in the marine leisure sector. It is expected that this will continue to have
2856-573: A ticket's origin or destination points, meaning that if a passenger wishes to break their journey at an intermediary station, PlusBus may not be issued for that area. keyGo, however, is not set up with this limitation, allowing PlusBus to be charged for travel on buses for intermediary stations. keyGo's terms and conditions do not address the need to follow a permitted route for journeys you make, instead only stating that you "must always touch 'in' and touch 'out' with your Key Smartcard" and that "your journey must be completed within 4 hours and 36 minutes of
2975-650: A trend reflected throughout the UK. Manufacturing industry in Dorset provided 10.3% of employment in 2008. This was slightly above the average for Great Britain but below that of the South West region which was at 10.7% for that period. The sector is the county's fourth largest employer, but a predicted decline suggests there will be 10,200 fewer jobs in manufacturing by 2026. As a largely rural county, Dorset has fewer major cultural institutions than larger or more densely populated areas. Major venues for concerts and theatre include
3094-632: A valid ticket was present, including for day tickets, such as London Day Travelcards. As of 21 January 2013 , the position is: Full range of ticket types means that tickets can be purchased for single rides, daily, weekly, monthly and season tickets. Converted to ITSO-compatible in October 2010 August 2011, Oxford SmartZone launched adding Stagecoach keyGo - limited area || Full integration for valid tickets from 19 September 2014. See Interoperability with Oyster card By September 2013, The Key had been issued to over 420,000 customers and
3213-525: A varied landscape of chalk downs , steep limestone ridges, and low-lying clay valleys. The majority of its coastline is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site due to its geological and palaeontologic significance, and features notable landforms such as Lulworth Cove , the Isle of Portland , Chesil Beach and Durdle Door . The north of the county contains part of Cranborne Chase ,
3332-694: A varied service in further rural locations. The First Group operate buses in the Weymouth and Bridport area, including a regular route along the A35 from Weymouth to Axminster, which helps to compensate for the missing rail link west of Dorchester; and the Jurassic Coaster service, which runs along the county's coastline. Yellow Buses provided bus services within Bournemouth and outlying areas until they ceased operating in 2022. The Key (smartcard) The Key
3451-520: A wide band of Cretaceous chalk which crosses the county as a range of hills from north-east to south-west, incorporating Cranborne Chase and the Dorset Downs , and a narrow band running from south-west to south-east, incorporating the Purbeck Hills . Between the chalk hills are large, wide vales and wide flood plains . These vales are dotted with small villages, farms and coppices , and include
3570-604: Is a ceremonial county in South West England . It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south-east, the English Channel to the south, and Devon to the west. The largest settlement is Bournemouth , and the county town is Dorchester . The county has an area of 2,653 km (1,024 sq mi) and
3689-647: Is a contactless ITSO -compatible smartcard developed by the Go-Ahead Group used on buses, trains and other forms of public transport across various areas of the United Kingdom . The Key uses near-field communication to electronically store and transmit information about rail and bus tickets for use on several operators across the UK. It was initially introduced in June 2007 by the Oxford Bus Company to simplify bus ticketing across their services. It has since spread to
Wilts & Dorset - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-585: Is added or updated on the smartcard. Instead, travel data, including the smartcard number, bus route number, and touch-on point, is uploaded to the Go-Ahead keyGo system at the end of the bus's journey, and the back-office system will calculate the appropriate fare for the combination of rail and bus journeys made each day. Due to the nature of keyGo's tap-on tap-off system, there are some differences between its usage and standard railway tickets. According to PlusBus' terms and conditions, PlusBus can only be issued for
3927-511: Is an outdoor arts festival that takes place every two years in rural and urban locations across Dorset. In addition to the smaller folk festivals held in towns such as Christchurch and Wimborne , Dorset holds several larger musical events such as Camp Bestival , End of the Road and the Larmer Tree Festival . Dorset's only professional football club is AFC Bournemouth , which plays in
4046-439: Is automatically calculated for all journeys made throughout the day at 4:30am. keyGo can also be used to extend existing tickets loaded onto The Key, meaning that season ticket users and day ticket users are only charged for travel beyond their smart ticket's validity. Until 24 January 2018, there was no way to correct an incomplete journey without contacting Southern customer services. In the case of an incomplete journey, where
4165-527: Is connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach , a 27-kilometre (17 mi) long shingle barrier beach protecting The Fleet , Britain's largest tidal lagoon. The county has one of the highest proportions of conservation areas in England, and two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) cover 53% of the administrative county. It has two heritage coasts totalling 92 kilometres (57 mi), and Sites of Special Scientific Interest covering 199 km (77 sq mi). The South West Coast Path ,
4284-617: Is known as the Dorset Cross or St Wite's Cross, was adopted in 2008 following a public competition organised by Dorset County Council. The winning design, which features a white cross with a red border on a golden background, attracted 54% of the vote. All three colours are used in Dorset County Council's coat of arms and the red and white was used in recognition of the English flag . The golden colour represents Dorset's sandy beaches and
4403-641: Is less straightforward and includes Portland and Purbeck stone , other limestones , calcareous clays and shales . Portland and Purbeck stone are of national importance as a building material and for restoring some of Britain's most famous landmarks. Almost every type of rock known from the Early Jurassic to the Eocene epochs can be found in the county. Dorset has a number of limestone ridges which are mostly covered in either arable fields or calcareous grassland supporting sheep. These limestone areas include
4522-512: Is not possible to arrange to a replacement card online, in the app or at a ticket office. The first-line customer support teams are also unable to arrange a replacement and need to refer on the request internally. keyGo is a pay-as-you-go system which can be added to Key smartcards provided by Govia Thameslink Railway . It is also valid for pay-as-you-go and PlusBus travel on some MetroBus and Brighton & Hove buses , as well as on GTR services between many stations on their network. keyGo
4641-640: Is one of few English counties not well served by canals and has no motorways. The A303 , A35 and A31 trunk roads run through the county. The A303, which connects the West Country to London via the M3 , clips the north-west of the county. The A35 crosses the county in a west–east direction from Honiton in Devon, via Bridport, Dorchester, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, to Southampton in Hampshire. The A31 connects to
4760-528: Is one of the largest natural harbours in the world. The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island , the birthplace of the Scouting movement and one of the few remaining sanctuaries for indigenous red squirrels in England. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck to the south, lie atop Western Europe's largest onshore oil field . The field, operated by Perenco from Wytch Farm , has
4879-488: Is the home to top-flight speedway team Poole Pirates . The county's coastline, on the English Channel, is noted for its watersports (particularly sailing, gig racing , windsurfing, power boating and kayaking) which take advantage of the sheltered waters in the bays of Weymouth and Poole , and the harbours of Poole and Portland. Dorset hosted the sailing events at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics at
Wilts & Dorset - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-757: The 2024 . The marginal seat of South Dorset is represented by Lloyd Hatton , who gained the seat from Conservative representative, Richard Drax , in 2024. The Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency has been represented by the Liberal Democrat MP, Vikki Slade since 2024. In the 2024 general election, the Conservatives held 2 constituencies in Dorset, while the Liberal Democrats gained 2 and Labour gained 4. A. Excludes self-employed , government-supported trainees and armed forces B. Includes industries that are also part of
5117-520: The Black Death entered England at Melcombe Regis in 1348. The county has seen much civil unrest: in the English Civil War an uprising of Clubmen vigilantes was crushed by Oliver Cromwell 's forces in a pitched battle near Shaftesbury ; the doomed Monmouth Rebellion began at Lyme Regis ; and the Tolpuddle Martyrs , a group of Dorset farm labourers, were instrumental in the formation of
5236-594: The Bloody Assizes took place to punish the rebels. Over a five-day period in Dorchester, Judge Jeffreys presided over 312 cases: 74 of the accused were executed, 175 were sentenced to penal transportation , and nine were publicly whipped. In 1686, at Charborough Park , a meeting took place to plot the downfall of James II of England . This meeting was effectively the start of the Glorious Revolution . During
5355-487: The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre , Poole Museum , Portland Museum and Wareham Town Museum . Dorset contains 190 conservation areas , more than 1,500 scheduled monuments , over 30 registered parks and gardens and 12,850 listed buildings . Grade I listed buildings include: Portland Castle , a coastal fort commissioned by Henry VIII ; a castle with more than a 1,000 years of history at Corfe ;
5474-485: The England and Wales average of 17.4%, and 18.6% are less than 17 years old, lower than the England and Wales average of 21.3%. The working age population (females and males between 16 and 64) is lower than England and Wales average, 60% compared to 64%. Data collected between 2010 and 2012 shows that average life expectancy at birth in the county is 85.3 years for females and 81.2 years for males. This compares favourably with
5593-519: The Go-Ahead Group ; it is now part of the subsidiary Go South Coast . Coach companies Tourist Coaches , Levers and Kingston Coaches were purchased and consolidated under the Tourist Coaches name; and Bell's Coaches were added in 2003. On 31 July 2008, a W&D open-top bus collided with two cars between Studland and the local chain ferry, injuring 30 people. The bus, a route 50 service travelling from Swanage to Bournemouth, collided with both
5712-464: The Industrial Revolution largely bypassed Dorset which lacked coal resources and as a consequence the county remained predominantly agricultural. Farming has always been central to the economy of Dorset and the county became the birthplace of the modern trade union movement when, in 1834, six farm labourers formed a union to protest against falling wages. The labourers, who are now known as
5831-573: The Kingdom of Wessex . The precise details of this West Saxon conquest and how it took place are not clear, but it appears to have substantially taken place by the start of the reign of Caedwalla in 685. The Saxons established a diocese at Sherborne (later to develop into the Diocese of Salisbury ) and Dorset was made a shire —an administrative district of Wessex and predecessor to the English county system—with borders that have changed little since. In 789
5950-730: The Lighthouse arts centre in Poole; the Bournemouth International Centre , Pavilion Theatre and O2 Academy in Bournemouth; and the Pavilion theatre in Weymouth. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1893, is based in Poole. Dorset has more than 30 general and specialist museums. The Dorset County Museum (now the Dorset Museum ) in Dorchester was founded in 1846 and contains an extensive collection of exhibits covering
6069-667: The Parliamentarians . An uprising of Clubmen —vigilantes weary of the depredations of the war—took place in Dorset in 1645. Some 2,000 of these rebels offered battle to Lord Fairfax's Parliamentary army at Hambledon Hill but they were easily routed. Sherborne Castle was taken by Fairfax that same year and in 1646 Corfe Castle, the last remaining Royalist stronghold in Dorset, was captured after an act of betrayal: both were subsequently slighted . The Duke of Monmouth's unsuccessful attempt to overthrow James II began when he landed at Lyme Regis in 1685. A series of trials known as
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#17330846561716188-563: The Premier League —the highest division in the English football league system . Non-League semi-professional teams in the county include Southern Premier Division teams Dorchester Town F.C. , Poole Town F.C. and Weymouth F.C. Dorset County Cricket Club competes in the Minor Counties Cricket Championship and is based at Dean Park Cricket Ground in Bournemouth. Poole Stadium hosts regular greyhound racing and
6307-591: The Tolpuddle Martyrs , were subsequently arrested for administering "unlawful oaths" and sentenced to transportation but they were pardoned following massive protests by the working classes. The Dorsetshire Regiment were the first British unit to face a gas attack during the First World War (1914–1918) and they sustained particularly heavy losses at the Battle of the Somme . In total some 4,500 Dorset servicemen died in
6426-986: The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy . The venue was completed in May 2009 and was used by international sailing teams in preparation for the Games. In motorsport, Dorset hosts the Extreme E Jurassic X Prix at Bovington Camp. Dorset is famed in literature for being the native county of author and poet Thomas Hardy , and many of the places he describes in his novels in the fictional Wessex are in Dorset, which he renamed South Wessex . The National Trust owns Thomas Hardy's Cottage , in Higher Bockhampton, east of Dorchester; and Max Gate , his former house in Dorchester. Several other writers have called Dorset home, including Douglas Adams , who wrote much of The Hitchhiker's Guide to
6545-479: The trade union movement . During the Second World War , Dorset was heavily involved in the preparations for the invasion of Normandy , and the large harbours of Portland and Poole were two of the main embarkation points. Agriculture was historically the major industry of Dorset, but is now in decline in favour of tourism. Dorset derives its name from the county town of Dorchester . The Romans established
6664-479: The 18th century, much smuggling took place along the Dorset coast; its coves, caves and sandy beaches provided opportunities for gangs such as the Hawkhursts to stealthily bring smuggled goods ashore. Poole became Dorset's busiest port and established prosperous trade links with the fisheries of Newfoundland which supported cloth, rope and net manufacturing industries in the surrounding towns and villages. However,
6783-564: The 2024 United Kingdom general election when they were all gained by Labour. The county constituencies of North Dorset and Christchurch are also represented by Conservative MPs. Between 1997 and 2019, West Dorset was represented by Conservative MP Oliver Letwin who was the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office in David Cameron 's government. The seat was won by Edward Morello in
6902-496: The 3 June 2012 network changes, the 3 was withdrawn and was merged with Route 4, which was extended beyond Broadstone to Wimborne either via Merley or Corfe Mullen. After many complaints, Route 4X was introduced between Poole & Broadstone/Merley via the old Route 3 during the morning and evening rush-hours towards the end of June 2012. Towards the end of July 2012 however, it was announced that Route 3 would be re-instated from 17 September 2012 and that both routes 3 & 4 would join
7021-490: The A35 at Bere Regis , and passes east through Wimborne and Ferndown to Hampshire, where it later becomes the M27 . Other main roads in the county include the A338 , A354 , A37 and A350 . The A338 heads north from Bournemouth to Ringwood (Hampshire) and on to Salisbury (Wiltshire) and beyond. The A354 also connects to Salisbury after travelling north-east from Weymouth in the south of
7140-494: The Blackmore Vale ( Stour valley ) and the Frome valley . The Blackmore Vale is composed of older Jurassic deposits, largely clays interspersed with limestones, and has traditionally been a centre for dairy agriculture. South-east Dorset, including the lower Frome valley and around Poole and Bournemouth, comprises younger Eocene deposits, mainly sands and clays of poor agricultural quality. The soils created from these deposits support
7259-431: The D-Day Normandy landings and gliders from RAF Tarrant Rushton dropped troops near Caen to begin Operation Tonga . Dorset experienced an increase in holiday-makers after the war. First popularised as a tourist destination by George III's frequent visits to Weymouth, the county's coastline, seaside resorts and its sparsely populated rural areas attract millions of visitors each year. With farming declining across
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#17330846561717378-478: The Damory Coaches name. Each operation that was purchased became a brand under the company, which run public and school routes within its own area. These continued during the split under their respective areas managed by the new companies. The Wimborne Flyer, now known as service 3, replaced the Poole to Wimborne section of service 132 after the major restructuring of Poole services in June 2006. It runs four times an hour Monday to Saturday. The service differs from
7497-440: The Dorset Downs receive between 1,000 and 1,250 mm (39–49 in) per year; less than much of Devon and Cornwall to the west but more than counties to the east. The 2011 Census records Dorset's population as 744,041. This consisted of 412,905 for the non-metropolitan county (not including Bournemouth and Poole), 183,491 for the unitary authority of Bournemouth and 147,645 for the unitary authority of Poole. In 2013 it
7616-430: The Dorset Downs, the average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C (49.6 to 53.6 °F). The south coast counties of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex , East Sussex and Kent enjoy more sunshine than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, receiving 1,541–1,885 hours a year. Average annual rainfall varies across the county—southern and eastern coastal areas receive 700–800 mm (28–31 in) per year;
7735-470: The Dorset landmarks of Golden Cap and Gold Hill . It is also a reference to the Wessex Dragon , a symbol of the Saxon Kingdom which Dorset once belonged to, and the gold wreath featured on the badge of the Dorset Regiment . Dorset is connected to London by two main line railways. The West of England Main Line runs through the north of the county at Gillingham and Sherborne. Running west from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids in Devon, it provides
7854-477: The Galaxy while he lived in Stalbridge ; John le Carré , author of espionage novels, was born in Poole; Tom Sharpe of Wilt fame lived in Bridport; John Fowles ( The French Lieutenant's Woman ) lived in Lyme Regis before he died in late 2005; T.F. Powys lived in Chaldon Herring for over 20 years and used it as inspiration for the fictitious village of Folly Down in his novel Mr. Weston's Good Wine ; John Cowper Powys , his elder brother, also set
7973-478: The Old English word sæte (meaning "people"). The same ending can also be seen in the neighbouring Somerset . It is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in AD 845 and in the 10th century the county's archaic name, Dorseteschyre (Dorsetshire), was first recorded. The first human visitors to Dorset were Mesolithic hunters, from around 8000 BC. The first permanent Neolithic settlers appeared around 3000 BC and were responsible for
8092-493: The Porsche was later convicted of driving without due care and attention . In 2011, Wilts & Dorset trialled Go-Ahead Group's The Key smartcard ticketing system similar to London's Oyster card and the ITSO ticket used on National Rail services; the system was already in use by sister companies Brighton and Hove and Metrobus . In 2012, it was launched across the entire network, with passengers able to save up to 33% against purchasing paper tickets. In July 2012, it
8211-756: The South East Flexible Ticketing scheme (SEFT) to provide ITSO ticket acceptance capability at 90 stations outside London. As part of the IoP project, TfL joined as an ITSO member. TfL estimated that providing ITSO capability across all of their services would require the procurement of 20,000 new smart ticket readers within their controlled station facilities and buses. By 21 October 2013, TfL had upgraded smartcard readers at four National Rail stations to accept ITSO-based tickets: London Victoria , London Bridge , Clapham Junction and East Croydon . On 19 September 2014, TfL and Southern Railway announced that all National Rail ITSO-compatible smartcards were now able to be used across TfL services on Oyster validators, where
8330-431: The Stour, which rises in Wiltshire to the north, has its origins in clay soil. The River Avon , which flows mainly through Wiltshire and Hampshire, enters Dorset towards the end of its journey at Christchurch Harbour . The rivers Axe and Yeo , which principally drain the counties of Devon and Somerset respectively, have their sources in the north-west of the county. In the south-west, a number of small rivers run into
8449-436: The UK, Dorset is less affected by the more intense Atlantic winds than Cornwall and Devon. Dorset, along with the entire South West England , has higher winter temperatures, average 4.5 to 8.7 °C (40.1 to 47.7 °F), than the rest of the United Kingdom. However, Dorset maintains higher summer temperatures than Devon and Cornwall, with average highs of 19.1 to 22.2 °C (66.4 to 72.0 °F). Excluding hills such as
8568-438: The averages for England and Wales of 82.9 and 79.1 years respectively. Around 95.2% of Dorset's population are of white ethnicity, 60.9% of the population are Christian and 28.5% say they are not religious. More than 33% of the county's population possess a level 4 qualification or above, such as a Higher National Diploma, Degree or a Higher Degree; while nearly 6.3% have no qualifications at all. Almost 43.7% are employed in
8687-562: The border with modern-day Hampshire , delayed the advance of the Saxons into Dorset for almost 150 years. It appears to have been re-fortified during this period, with the former Roman Road at Ackling Dyke also being blocked by the Britons, apparently to prevent the West Saxon advance into Dorset. However, by the end of the 7th century Dorset had fallen under Saxon control and been incorporated into
8806-551: The card's balance goes below £5. A minimum balance of £5 was required for keyGo to be used for travel. Customers could also top up their keyGo balance at Payzone locations within the keyGo validity area. At Payzone locations, you could top up your keyGo balance by any amount between £5 and £100. From 24 January 2018, keyGo moved from a pay-as-you-go system to a post-pay system, where customers' linked payment methods are charged directly as opposed to depleting credit. Existing credit balances would be used before attempting to charge
8925-525: The chalk and the heath. In the west this results in a hilly landscape of diverse character that resembles that of neighbouring county Devon . Marshwood Vale , a valley of Lower Lias clay at the western tip of the county, lies to the south of the two highest points in Dorset: Lewesdon Hill at 279 metres (915 ft) and Pilsdon Pen at 277 metres (909 ft). A former river valley flooded by rising sea levels 6,000 years ago, Poole Harbour
9044-527: The change of route, specifically through Merley where the buses took a narrower but more direct road through the estate. Some criticism has also been aimed at the Citaro buses after a number of accidents, including buses demolishing walls while trying to pass each other on a narrow road and tearing hanging baskets from walls in Wimborne Square while turning. Following numerous complaints, Wilts & Dorset rerouted
9163-809: The company in the 1990s when Wilts & Dorset purchased Tourist Coaches of Figheldean , Wiltshire. Tourist Coaches operates public services within the Wiltshire area from the Salisbury Reds depot. It was founded in 1920 by E & DF Stanfield in Figheldean, Wiltshire. At the time, it provided both private coach hire and contract coach services for the military establishments around Salisbury Plain . In Dorset, three acquisitions were made: Damory Coaches in May 1993, Oakfield Travel in November 1993, and Blandford Bus Company in January 1994. The latter three were then combined under
9282-421: The country, tourism has edged ahead as the primary revenue-earning sector. Dorset is largely rural with many small villages, few large towns and no cities. The only major urban area is the South East Dorset conurbation , which is situated at the south-eastern end of the county and is atypical of the county as a whole. It consists of the seaside resort of Bournemouth, the historic port and borough of Poole,
9401-472: The county was in agricultural use, up from 1,986 km (767 sq mi) in 1989, although this was due to an increase in permanent grass, and land set aside . By contrast, in the same period, arable land decreased from 993 to 916 km (383 to 354 sq mi). Excluding fowl, sheep are the most common animal stock in the county; between 1989 and 2006 their numbers fell from 252,189 to 193,500. Cattle and pig farming has declined similarly; during
9520-462: The county's history and environment. The Tank Museum at Bovington contains more than 300 tanks and armoured vehicles from 30 nations. The museum is the largest in Dorset and its collection has been designated of national importance . Other museums which reflect the cultural heritage of the county include The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester, the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth,
9639-515: The county. The A37 travels north-west from Dorchester to Yeovil in Somerset. The A350 also leads north, from Poole through Blandford and Shaftesbury, to Warminster in Wiltshire. A passenger seaport and an international airport are situated in the county. Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries operate out of Poole Harbour; Brittany Ferries provide access to Cherbourg in France and Condor Ferries sail
9758-609: The county—most notably Maiden Castle which is one of the largest in Europe. The Romans arrived in Dorset during their conquest of Britain in AD ;43. Maiden Castle was captured by the Legio II Augusta under the command of Vespasian , and the Roman settlement of Durnovaria was established nearby. Bokerley Dyke , a large defensive ditch built by the county's post-Roman inhabitants near
9877-609: The creation of the Dorset Cursus , a 10.5-kilometre (6.5 mi) monument for ritual or ceremonial purposes. From 2800 BC onwards Bronze Age farmers cleared Dorset's woodlands for agricultural use and Dorset's high chalk hills provided a location for numerous round barrows . During the Iron Age , the British tribe known as the Durotriges established a series of hill forts across
9996-499: The early part of the 12th century. Over the next 200 years Dorset's population grew substantially and additional land was enclosed for farming to provide the extra food required. The wool trade, the quarrying of Purbeck Marble and the busy ports of Weymouth , Melcombe Regis , Lyme Regis and Bridport brought prosperity to the county. However, Dorset was devastated by the bubonic plague in 1348 which arrived in Melcombe Regis on
10115-407: The entire council occur every four years. The two authorities came into existence on 1 April 2019, when Bournemouth and Poole merged with Christchurch, one of six second-tier districts previously governed by Dorset County Council , leaving the other five districts - Weymouth and Portland , West Dorset , North Dorset , Purbeck and East Dorset - to form a second UA. Dorset County Council
10234-402: The first complete Ichthyosaur , discovered near Lyme Regis in 1811 by Mary Anning . The county features some notable coastal landforms, including examples of a cove ( Lulworth Cove ), a natural arch ( Durdle Door ) and chalk stacks ( Old Harry Rocks ). Jutting out into the English Channel at roughly the midpoint of the Dorset coastline is the Isle of Portland , a limestone island that
10353-615: The first recorded Viking attack on the British Isles took place in Dorset on the Portland coast, and they continued to raid into the county for the next two centuries. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, feudal rule was established in Dorset and the bulk of the land was divided between the Crown and ecclesiastical institutions. The Normans consolidated their control over the area by constructing castles at Corfe , Wareham and Dorchester in
10472-480: The keyGo Network Area as specified in condition 7 or the Smartcard has not been validated" that a passenger is liable to pay a penalty fare . As long as a passenger is within the keyGo network area and has touched in no more than 4 hours and 36 minutes ago, their smartcard is deemed as a valid ticket no matter where they are within the keyGo network area, allowing them to use typically invalid routings, or travel across
10591-436: The keyGo validity area, as well as on Southern services towards London. From 22 April 2024, keyGo will automatically cap point-to-point journeys made from Monday to Monday at their weekly season price. keyGo began using a credit balance system, similar to London's Oyster card . This worked by charging an initial £25 charge when activating keyGo as an initial balance, with additional £25 top-ups being taken automatically when
10710-404: The kiosks were present at Bedford , Brighton , Eastbourne , Haywards Heath , Hitchin , Horsham , Luton , St Albans City , St Neots , Stevenage , Three Bridges and Worthing stations. Key smartcard have a hidden expiry date after which the smartcard will stop working and any valid tickets on the card will become unusable. There is no advance warning of this and when it happens, it
10829-643: The largest events of its kind in Europe, and the Bournemouth Air Festival , a free air show that attracted 1.3 million visitors in 2009. The Spirit of the Seas is a maritime festival held in Weymouth and Portland. Launched in 2008, the festival features sporting activities, cultural events and local entertainers. The Dorset County Show, which was first held in 1841, is a celebration of Dorset's agriculture. The two-day event exhibits local produce and livestock and attracts some 55,000 people. Inside Out Dorset
10948-486: The major conurbation comprising the three towns; and Dorset Council which serves the more rural remainder of the county. For the BCP council, voters choose 76 councillors from 33 wards, with ten wards returning three candidates apiece and 23 wards, two. Dorset elects 82 councillors representing six three-councillor wards, 18 two-councillor wards and 28 single-councillor wards - 52 wards in total. In both authorities, elections for
11067-730: The more brand. PulseLine was the name of services around Salisbury to the District Hospital. In 2010 the name was replaced by Salisbury Reds, using the previous Mercedes-Benz Citaros repainted in the revised Wilts & Dorset livery with Salisbury Reds branding. In addition to the Citaros, ex Southern Vectis Dennis Dart MPDs were transferred and repainted into Wilts & Dorset livery with branding applied. Dorset Dorset ( / ˈ d ɔːr s ɪ t / DOR -sit ; archaically : Dorsetshire / ˈ d ɔːr s ɪ t . ʃ ɪər , - ʃ ər / DOR -sit-sheer , -shər )
11186-599: The most influential Dorset figures was Henry VII's chamberlain Giles Daubeney . The dissolution of the monasteries (1536–1541) met little resistance in Dorset and many of the county's abbeys, including Shaftesbury , Cerne and Milton , were sold to private owners. In 1642, at the commencement of the English Civil War , the Royalists took control of the entire county apart from Poole and Lyme Regis. However, within three years their gains had been almost entirely reversed by
11305-626: The name, the company's operations were mainly in the southern part of Wiltshire and the northern part of Hampshire . In 1963, the management of Wilts & Dorset passed to Hants & Dorset , a neighbouring state-owned bus company. In 1969, both companies became part of the National Bus Company and, in October 1972, they were merged under the Hants & Dorset name with the Wilts & Dorset name ceasing to be used. The Transport Act 1985 led to
11424-473: The network for extended periods of time (provided they have not exited any stations, where they must touch out) while only completing their journey very close to their origin point to avoid paying a higher fare. Initially, ITSO was not compatible with London's Oyster card system. A 2006 report commissioned by the UK Department for Transport found that "interoperability is possible, given sufficient budget and
11543-468: The old service 132 by taking a direct route between Poole and Broadstone , using a faster route through Merley , and extending the service from Wimborne Square to the Leigh Park estate. The service, when launched, was almost exclusively operated by Mercedes-Benz Citaros in the new standard Wilts & Dorset livery, though 'more' Citaros and Wright Eclipse Urbans were also seen. Local residents criticised
11662-622: The overall will to achieve it". On 6 August 2014, Southern Railway began selling London Travelcard season tickets fulfilled via The Key at stations, with online ticket sales being available from 20 August 2014. Day tickets across London and London Travelcards were made available from 19 September 2014. On 28 May 2009, the Department for Transport funded a Transport for London (TfL) project to make London's Oyster system fully interoperable with ITSO smartcards across, named ITSO on Prestige (IoP). This project ran alongside Govia 's investment in
11781-675: The privatisation of the National Bus Company . In preparation for privatisation, Hants & Dorset was split into three operating companies in April 1983, one of which was Wilts & Dorset Bus Company. The new Wilts & Dorset company's operating area was considerably larger than its older namesake, including Swanage , Poole , Bournemouth , Lymington , Devizes , Swindon and Salisbury , but not Basingstoke . Depots were located in Blandford Forum , Lymington, Pewsey , Poole, Ringwood , Salisbury and Swanage. In June 1987, Wilts & Dorset
11900-544: The same period the number of cattle fell from 240,413 to 170,700, and pigs from 169,636 to 72,700. In 2009 there were 2,340 armed forces personnel stationed in Dorset including the Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington , Royal Signals at Blandford and the Royal Marines at Poole . The military presence has had a mixed effect on the local economy, bringing additional employment for civilians, but on occasion having
12019-586: The sea along the Dorset coastline; most notable of these are the Char , Brit , Bride and Wey . Most of Dorset's coastline is part of the Jurassic Coast , a World Heritage Site , which stretches for 155 kilometres (96 mi) between Studland and Exmouth in Devon. This coast documents the entire Mesozoic era, from Triassic to Cretaceous, and is noted for its geological landforms . The Dorset section has yielded important fossils, including Jurassic trees and
12138-579: The service through Merley from 29 October 2006, reverting to part of the old 132 route through Merley Gardens. From 6 April 2008, two out of the four buses per hour started to run via Corfe Mullen rather than Merley with all services also stopping at Broadstone Broadway. Services to and from Leigh Park only run during the morning and evening peak. With the Wimborne Flyer now covering the section of route between Broadstone and Corfe Mullen, most service 4 journeys started to terminate at Broadstone. As part of
12257-416: The services industry C. Excluding Poole and Bournemouth In 2003 the gross value added (GVA) for the non-metropolitan county was £4,673 million, with an additional £4,705 million for Poole and Bournemouth. The primary sector produced 2.03% of GVA, the secondary sector produced 22.44% and 75.53% came from the tertiary sector . The average GVA for the 16 regions of South West England
12376-503: The settlement in the 1st century and named it Durnovaria which was a Latinised version of a Common Brittonic word possibly meaning "place with fist-sized pebbles". The Saxons named the town Dornwaraceaster (the suffix -ceaster being the Old English name for a "Roman town"; cf. Exeter and Gloucester ) and Dornsæte came into use as the name for the inhabitants of the area from Dorn (a reduced form of Dornwaraceaster ) and
12495-509: The start of your journey" for a journey to be considered a valid journey. Additionally, the terms explicitly address the process of ticket inspections while travelling in section 4, stating that during such checks "The Smartcard will be checked for any valid tickets, travelling within the keyGo network Area and that the Smartcard has been validated [...] at the start of the Journey." and that "[if] there are no valid tickets, you are travelling outside
12614-454: The towns of Christchurch and Ferndown plus many surrounding villages. Bournemouth, the most populous town in the conurbation, was established in the Georgian era when sea bathing became popular. Poole, the second largest settlement (once the largest town in the county), adjoins Bournemouth to the west and contains the suburb of Sandbanks which has some of the highest land values by area in
12733-474: The war and of the county's towns and villages, only one, Langton Herring , known as a Thankful Village , had no residents killed. During the Second World War (1939–1945) Dorset was heavily involved in the preparations for the invasion of Normandy : beach landing exercises were carried out at Studland and Weymouth and the village of Tyneham was requisitioned for army training. Tens of thousands of troops departed Weymouth, Portland and Poole harbours during
12852-440: The west of the county; Verwood and the historic Saxon market towns of Wareham and Wimborne Minster are located to the east. Lyme Regis and Swanage are small coastal towns popular with tourists. Under construction on the western edge of Dorchester is the experimental new town of Poundbury commissioned and co-designed by Charles III when he was Prince of Wales. The suburb, which is expected to be fully completed by 2025,
12971-520: The world's oldest continuously pumping well at Kimmeridge which has been producing oil since the early 1960s. Dorset's diverse geography ensures it has an assortment of rivers, although a moderate annual rainfall coupled with rolling hills, means most are typically lowland in nature. Much of the county drains into three rivers, the Frome, Piddle and Stour which all flow to the sea in a south-easterly direction. The Frome and Piddle are chalk streams but
13090-477: The world. The other two major settlements in the county are Dorchester, which has been the county town since at least 1305, and Weymouth, a major seaside resort since the 18th century. Blandford Forum , Sherborne, Gillingham , Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton are historic market towns which serve the farms and villages of the Blackmore Vale in north Dorset. Beaminster and Bridport are situated in
13209-529: Was announced that the Wilts & Dorset name would be dropped from bus services in favour of the Morebus brand in Poole and Bournemouth, and Salisbury Reds in Salisbury and Amesbury. In 2014, it was announced that the bus station on Endless Street in Salisbury would close in favour of town centre stops. The station had opened in 1939 as the headquarters of Wilts & Dorset. Coach operations were established by
13328-537: Was between Salisbury and Amesbury. The company grew rapidly in the Andover , Amesbury, Blandford Forum , Pewsey and Salisbury areas. The Southern Railway and Thomas Tilling obtained shares in 1931, with Wilts & Dorset being nationalised in 1948. It acquired Venture of Basingstoke in 1950, in a reorganisation following the nationalisation of Venture's parent, Red & White . Wilts & Dorset acquired Silver Star of Porton Down , Wiltshire in June 1963. Despite
13447-449: Was designed to integrate residential and retail buildings and counter the growth of dormitory towns and car-oriented development. Dorset covers an area of 2,653 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi) and contains considerable variety in its underlying geology, which is partly responsible for the diversity of landscape. A large percentage (66%) of the county comprises either chalk , clay or mixed sand and gravels . The remainder
13566-472: Was estimated that the population had risen by around 1.4% to 754,460: 416,720 in the non-metropolitan county and 188,730 and 149,010 in Bournemouth and Poole respectively. More than half of the county's residents live in the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation. Dorset's population has a high proportion of older people and a lower than average proportion of young people: According to 2013 mid-year estimates, 23.6% are over 65 years of age, higher than
13685-400: Was first formed in 1888 by an act of government to govern the newly created administrative county of Dorset which had been based largely on the historic county borders. Dorset became a two-tier non-metropolitan county after a reorganisation of local government in 1974 and its border was extended eastwards to incorporate the former Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch. Following
13804-540: Was introduced in August 2014, initially only covering a small area of Southern's rail network, expanding to cover the majority of East and West coastway and Brighton Mainline routes (excluding TfL zones) in May 2015. keyGo can also be used on Great Western Railway services between Redhill and Dorking Deepdene, including break of journey. From 24 January 2018, keyGo can be used on all Govia Thameslink Railway brands (Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express and Great Northern) within
13923-465: Was sold in a management buyout . The new company fought off competition from Charlie's Cars and Badger Vectis . Damory Coaches of Blandford Forum was purchased in May 1993, followed by Oakfield Travel and Stanbridge & Crichel Bus Company in November 1993, and by Blandford Bus Company in January 1994; all were combined under the Damory Coaches name. On 11 August 2003, the business was sold to
14042-415: Was £1,458 million. Towns received 56% of Dorset's day trippers, 27% went to the coast and 17% to the countryside. A survey carried out in 1997 concluded that the primary reason tourists were drawn to Dorset was the attractiveness of the county's coast and countryside. Numbers of domestic and foreign tourists have fluctuated in recent years due to various factors including security and economic downturn,
14161-554: Was £4,693 million. The principal industry in Dorset was once agriculture. It has not, however, been the largest employer since the mid 19th century as mechanisation substantially reduced the number of workers required. Agriculture has become less profitable and the industry has declined further. Within the administrative county between 1995 and 2003, GVA for primary industry (largely agriculture, fishing and quarrying) declined from £229 million to £188 million—7.1% to 4.0%. In 2007, 2,039 km (787 sq mi) of
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