Thomas Hardy's Dorchester

Pat Coulter explores Dorset’s vibrant county town through its museums and literary heritage.

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Factfile

 

I ONLY have a couple days to cram 250,000 million years of history. Surely I'm not back at school swotting for exams?

Thankfully, the answer is delightfully elementary in Dorset's magnificent county town, Dorchester.

Poppy dog and I love the exciting combination of doorstep coastal capers and the historic, vibrant market town.

If you love museums, you'll find Dorchester a joy.

After all, everyone needs a rainy day Plan B, especially in rain-soaked Blighty, however outdoorsy we might be.

This compact town offers an incredible diversity of museums to explore, from to Roman dinosaurs remains, our literary past to history from far-flung locations.

Even terracotta warriors have marched into town, faithfully recreated by Chinese artists in a dedicated permanent museum in their honour.

I'm looking forward to immersing myself in the town's delights.

Our last foray to this part of the world was Dorset's neo-Georgian new town of Poundbury.

Pleasant indeed, but Dorchester, her more venerable sister, has the character of a town steeped in history.