Dorset

Dorset (pronounced Dorsit, sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the southwest of England, on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester, situated in the south of the county at {{coor dms|50|43|00|N|02|26|00|W|}}. Between its extreme points Dorset measures 50 miles (80 km) from east to west and 40 miles (64 km) north to south, and has an area of 1,024 square miles (2,653 km²). Dorset borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east and Hampshire to the east. The county is largely rural with a low population and population density. Dorset's motto is Who's Afear'd.

Physical geography

Most of Dorset's landscape falls into two categories, determined by the underlying geology. There are a number of large ridges of limestone downland, much of which were cleared of the native forest hundreds or even thousands of years ago and are mostly grassland and some arable agriculture. These limestone areas include a band of chalk which crosses the county from south-west to north-east incorporating Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and Purbeck Hills. Between the areas of downland are large, wide clay vales (primarily Oxford Clay with some Weald Clay and London Clay) with wide flood plains. These vales are primarily used for dairy agriculture, dotted with small villages, farms and coppices. They include the Blackmore Vale (Stour valley) and Frome valley.

Related Topics:
Geology - Limestone - Downland - Forest - Grassland - Arable - Chalk - Cranborne Chase - Dorset Downs - Purbeck Hills - Clay - Vale - Oxford Clay - Weald Clay - London Clay - Flood plain - Dairy - Coppice - Blackmore Vale - Stour valley - Frome valley

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South-east Dorset, around Poole and Bournemouth, lies on very nonresistant Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay), sands and gravels. These thin soils support a heathland habitat which supports all seven native British reptile species. The River Frome estuary runs through this weak rock, and its many tributaries have carved out a very wide estuary. At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited turning the estuary into Poole Harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney Harbour, though Sydney's claim is disputed). The harbour is very shallow in places and contains a number of islands, notably Brownsea Island, famous for its Red Squirrel sanctuary and as the birthplace of the Scouting movement. The harbour, and the chalk and limestone hills of the Purbecks to the south, lie atop Britain's largest onshore oil field. The field, operated by BP from Wytch Farm, produces a high-quality oil and boasts the world's oldest continuously pumping well (Kimmeridge, since the early 1960s) and longest horizontal drill (5 miles, ending underneath Bournemouth pier). The clay pottery produced by Poole Pottery from the local clays is famous for its quality.

Related Topics:
Eocene - London Clay - Gault Clay - Sand - Gravel - Heathland - Reptile - River Frome - Estuary - Tributaries - Spits - Poole Harbour - Harbour - Sydney Harbour - Brownsea Island - Red Squirrel - Scouting - Purbeck - Oil field - BP - Wytch Farm - Kimmeridge - 1960s - Pier - Pottery - Poole Pottery

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Most of Dorset's coastline was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its unique geological landforms. The coast documents the entire Mesozoic era from Triassic to Cretaceous, and has yielded many important fossils, including the first complete Ichthyosaur and fossilised Jurassic trees. The coast also features examples of most notable coastal landforms, including a textbook example of cove (Lulworth Cove) and natural arch (Durdle Door). Jutting out into the English Channel is a limestone island, the Isle of Portland, connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach, a tombolo.

Related Topics:
Dorset's coastline - World Heritage Site - 2001 - Landforms - Mesozoic - Triassic - Cretaceous - Fossil - Ichthyosaur - Cove - Lulworth Cove - Natural arch - Durdle Door - English Channel - Isle of Portland - Chesil Beach - Tombolo

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In the west of the county the chalk and clay of south-east England begin to give way to the marl and granite of neighbouring Devon. Until recently Pilsdon Pen at 909 ft (277 m), was thought to be the highest hill in Dorset, but recent surveys have shown nearby Lewesdon Hill to be higher, at 279 m (915 ft). It is also a Marilyn.

Related Topics:
Marl - Granite - Devon - Pilsdon Pen - Ft - M - Lewesdon Hill - Marilyn

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The county is famous for warm summers and mild winters, being one of the most southern counties, but not westerly enough to be afflicted by the Atlantic storms of Cornwall and Devon. The average annual temperature of the county is 9.8 to 12 °C, with the exception of the highest areas of the downs{{ref|av_temp}}. In coastal areas around Dorset it is rare to have frosts, and it almost never snows. The county enjoys more annual sunshine than any other county, along with Hampshire, Kent and East and West Sussex, with all five counties receiving 1541–1885 hours{{ref|av_sun}}. Average annual rainfall is 871–1060 mm, less than counties to the west but slightly more than those to the east{{ref|av_rain}}. This slightly high rainfall means that Dorset has lush vegetation. Also notable are areas which enjoy even more sun than the rest of Dorset, such as the resorts of Weymouth and Portland, and Poole.

Related Topics:
Atlantic - Cornwall - Devon - Temperature - Hampshire - Kent - East - West Sussex

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