See & Do

Dorchester's rich history means there are lots of things to do here. We have hillforts, henges, an amphitheatre, Roman walls, a Roman town house complete with mosaics and a six brilliant museums! Plus, we forgot to mention all of our play parks, river walks and town trails. It is impossible for anyone, of any age, to be bored in Dorchester.

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Roman Dorchester

We have pulled together some suggested itineraries and more detailed information about how to make the most of your visit to Dorchester. Click on the link to be inspired.

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Eat & Drink

Dorchester has a brilliant range of independent and nationally established places to eat and drink at any time of day.
Many of them utilise and celebrate the wonderful food and drink produced in the local area.
Dorchester has an amazing brewing history and we are fortunate to have a few local micro breweries and distilleries in the town.

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Shopping

Dorchester has a variety of different shopping areas. All of them have a great balance of national favourites and independent shops. Homewares, gifts, clothing, shoes, toys, essentials, refills and more can all be found in our vibrant county town.

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Discover Dorchester

Welcome to Dorchester, the county town of Dorset and a great place to visit for a staycation weekend or for a day out with the family.

Whether it’s the two hill forts of Maiden Castle and Poundbury; the Roman Town House; our award winning museums, the fantastic Georgian Architecture in the picturesque town centre; Max Gate, the house designed and lived in by Thomas Hardy; HRH King Charles III’s urban extension at Poundbury with its open spaces and interesting shops and eateries; or the modern redevelopment of Brewery Square, the former brewery with its dancing fountains – there is lots for everyone to enjoy.

Dorchester, also known as Thomas Hardy’s Casterbridge or the Roman town of Durnovaria, has some fantastic local restaurants and cafes that celebrate local growers and producers and a great mix of local independent shops and valued national retailers.

Evenings in Dorchester as bustling with live music and events in pubs and bars, performances at our local arts centre and regular screenings at our two local cinemas (Odeon and Plaza).

Dorchester is the perfect base for your Dorset holiday. It’s central location within the County means that you have brilliant access to the whole of the Jurassic Coast in the South, Thomas Hardy’s Wessex and the amazing hillforts and henges in North Dorset and Wiltshire (Stonehenge is only an hour away).

The town boasts two train stations with direct train links to London and Bristol. Dorchester also has a network of electric beryl bikes for hire and is well connected with local bus routes. This makes Dorchester the perfect location for a car free weekend away!

Places to visit in Dorchester

Upcoming events

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Exhibition: Gladiators of Britain

A British Museum Partnership Exhibition with Colchester + Ipswich Museums will delve into the lesser-known history of gladiatorial contests in Roman Britain. Launching at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery in January 2025, the exhibition will tour four UK venues, tracing the footsteps of gladiators who once fought in Britain’s amphitheatres.

Sat 25th Jan - All day
and 106 future schedules

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beerex

Dorchester Beerex

West Dorset CAMRA and Dorchester Casterbridge Rotary Club proudly present the 36th Dorchester Beerex.

Fri 31st Jan - 11:00am
and 3 future schedules

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Fingerpost Walking Festival

Dorchester Walking Festival

Experience the beauty of Dorchester and the Jurassic Coast at the Dorchester Walking Festival, 10 – 18th May 2025.

Sat 10th May - All day
and 8 future schedules

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Visiting Dorchester?

Dorchester is a compact Market town, nowhere is more than a 20 minute or so walk from the town centre. It’s easy to get in a sustainable way too. There are direct train services from Bristol, Bath, London, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. We are part of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, well connected by bus and we have lots of electric car charging facilities dotted about the town as well.

YOUR VISIT
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Train

Dorchester has two train stations meaning we are well connected for visitors from across the country. London to Dorchester takes less than three hours and Bournemouth to Dorchester takes less than an hour!

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Bike

There are lots of cycle parking points to lock your bike up around the town and it is well connected to the Sustrans National Cycle network.

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Bus

We have a regular bus service to local major towns including Bridport, Weymouth and Blandford.

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Car

There are lots of car parks dotted around and lots of e-car charging points too.

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Your guide to everything you need during your visit to discover Dorchester.

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