West Dorset

In the Census 2001 West Dorset registered a population of 92,350, estimated to be 94,000 as of 2004. The population structure reflects the rural nature of the district. 52% of the population are female. The area was a popular retirement area which also exports young people due the low choice of career options. This was reflected in the age structure, with 12.3% of the population over 75, compared to 7.5% in England; 51.7% were between 15 and 59, compared to 59.1% in England. 34.4% of dwellings were pensioner households, compared to 23.8% in England.

The district was an example of the low ethnic minority populations in rural areas, with 96.7% white British ethnicity, compared to 87.0% in England.

The district had a high level of car ownership, at 83.1% of households compared to 73.2% in England.

West Dorset is a county constituency, currently represented in the British House of Commons by the Conservative Chris Loder. Elections in this constituency are usually a two-party contest between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties. It is almost identical in area with what was the West Dorset district, but a very small part of West Dorset District lay within the South Dorset county constituency, currently represented in the British House of Commons by the Conservative Party member Richard Drax.

The main settlements in West Dorset were Dorchester, Sherborne and Bridport. Dorchester was in the south of the district and is the county town of Dorset. It has been an important settlement since Roman times. Sherborne was in the north of the district and is an important market town which was, for a time, the capital of Wessex. Bridport was in the west of the district and is popular with tourists visiting the Jurassic Coast, as is the smaller coastal town of Lyme Regis at the county border with Devon.

Settlements with a population over 2,500 are in bold.

• Abbotsbury, Allington, Alton Pancras, Askerwell
• Batcombe, Beaminster, Beer Hackett, Bettiscombe, Bincombe, Bishops Caundle, Bothenhampton, Bradford Abbas, Bradford Peverell, Bradpole, Bridport, Broadoak, Broadwindsor, Buckland Newton, Burstock, Burton Bradstock
• Castleton, Cattistock, Caundle Marsh, Cerne Abbas, Charminster, Charmouth, Chedington, Cheselbourne, Chetnole, Chickerell, Chideock, Chilfrome, Clifton Maybank, Compton Valence, Corscombe, Crossways
• Dewlish, Dorchester
• Evershot
• Fleet, Folke, Frampton, Frome St Quintin, Frome Vauchurch
• Godmanstone
• Halstock, Hermitage, Hilfield, Holnest, Holwell, Hooke
• Langton Herring, Leigh, Lillington, Littlebredy, Litton Cheney, Loders, Long Bredy, Longburton, Lyme Regis
• Maiden Newton, Marshwood, Melbury Bubb, Melbury Osmond, Melcombe Horsey, Minterne Magna, Mosterton
• Netherbury, Nether Compton
• Oborne, Osmington, Over Compton, Owermoigne
• Piddlehinton, Piddletrenthide, Portesham, Poundbury, Powerstock, Poyntington, Puddletown, Puncknowle, Purse Caundle, Pymore
• Rampisham, Ryme Intrinseca
• Sandford Orcas, Seaborough, Sherborne, Shipton Gorge, South Perrott, Stanton St Gabriel, Stinsford, Stoke Abbott, Stratton, Swyre, Sydling St Nicholas, Symondsbury
• Thorncombe, Thornford, Tincleton, Toller Porcorum, Tolpuddle, Trent
• Warmwell, West Bexington, West Knighton, West Stafford, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Winterborne Monkton, Winterborne St Martin, Winterbourne Abbas, Winterbourne Steepleton, Woodsford, Wootton Fitzpaine, Wraxall
• Yetminster

Maiden Castle in 1934. Photograph taken by Major George Allen (1891–1940).

• Abbotsbury Castle
• Abbotsbury Swannery
• Athelhampton House
• Chesil Beach
• Dorset Downs
• Eggardon Hill
• Golden Cap
• Hooke Court
• Jurassic Coast
• Kingston Russell
• Maiden Castle
• Pilsdon Pen
• Poundbury Hill
• Rampisham Down
• River Frome
• Sherborne Abbey
• Sherborne Castle
• Sherborne House
• The Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum

• History of Dorset
• Geology of Dorset

• West Dorset District Council
• West Dorset Directory