DOR8BTSHIKK. 



DOR8BT8HIKK. 



nearly S miles, and than becomes fteep, and turn* eastward, forming 

 Studland Bay, the southern limit of which u Handfast Point ; it then 

 run* about 4 miles south by wait to Peverel Point and Durlston 

 Head, thenoe west by south 5 miles to Si Aldhelm's or St Alban's 

 Head, 844 feet high, and continues in an irregular line west by north 

 17 or 18 miles to Weymouth Bay, forming along the line of ooast 

 several small bays. 



The shore of Weymouth Bay 1s low, and extends 9 miles south to 

 the towns of Melcumbe Regis and Weymouth ; here the cliffs recom- 

 mence, and run 1 mile south-west to Sandsfoot Castle, whence a low 

 shore extends 2 milr* south by east to Portland Castle, on the 

 peninsula or Isle of Portland. The lofty coast of this island takes a 

 circuit of C or miles to the Bill of Portland, the southernmost point of 

 the county, and thence above 3 miles northward to the commence- 

 ment of the Cbesil Bank, which connects the north-west extremity 

 of the Isle of Portland with the main-land. The bay between 

 Weymouth and the Isle of Portland is called Portland Road. 



The Isle of Portland is about 4 miles long, and in the widest part 

 nearly a mile and a half broad. It is one continued bed or rock of 

 freestone. The highest point in the island is 458 feet above the level 

 of the sea ; the cliffs on the western side are very lofty ; those at tin- 

 Bill are not more than 20 or 30 feet high. The island supplies the 

 greater part of the provisions requisite for the sustenance of the 

 population. Water is plentiful and good ; one stream hag sufficient 

 volume to turn a mill. The herbage is very fine, and affords pasturage 

 to a number of sheep, whose flesh is considered to be excellent 

 mutton. The arable land is mostly common field ; the inclosures are 

 bounded by stone fences. Wheat, oats, pease, and a little barley are 

 grown ; sainfoin is also cultivated. There are few trees in the island. 

 The islanders are a robust race, peculiarly adapted to the hard labour 

 of quarrying stone, in which a considerable number are employed. 

 They occasionally engage in fishing, and a few are employed in 

 agriculture, trade, and handicraft The custom of gavelkiud prevails 

 here. The island has one village, Chesilton, at the commencement 

 of the Cheail bank, on the north-wt-Kt side of Portland. There are 

 two castles ; one, on the east shore of the isle, is very ancient, and 

 built in the form of a pentagon, with a number of small loop-holes, 

 whence it has been vulgarly called ' Bow and Arrow Castle : ' it is 

 sometimes called Rufus's Castle. The other is on the northern side 

 of the island, built by Henry VIII., and, iu connection with Sands- 

 foot Castle, commands Portland Road ; a few guns are still mounted. 

 Near the Bill are two lighthouses. The quarries will be noticed here- 

 after. Masses of rocks extend under water to a considerable distance 

 from the island. A dangerous surf, called ' The Race of Portland,' 

 extends from the west of the island eastward to St. Aldhelm's Head. 

 Portland Road is sheltered from the south-west wind, and affords 

 good holding ground at 8 or 9 fathoms. In 1847 an act was passed 

 for the formation of a harbour of refuge off the Isle of Portland by 

 the construction of a breakwater, extending northward from the north- 

 eastern point of the island for a mile and a quarter, so as to include a 

 large pert of Portland Road. A considerable number of convicts 

 are employed on the works, a convict establishment having been 

 formed on the island for the purpose. The works are now steadily 

 advancing. 



I, eland, Hollinshed, and Camden agree in speaking of Portland as 

 having been once separated from the mainland ; but it has long been 

 united to it by the Chesil Bank, one of the longest and most extraor- 

 dinary ridges of pebbles in Europe, From its commencement at the 

 Isle of Portland it extends in a remarkably straight line north-west 

 for many miles, running parallel to the coast, from which it is sepa- 

 rated by a narrow arm of the sea called ' The Fleet,' as far as Abbots- 

 bury, 10 miles from Portland : here it unites with the mainland and 

 runs along the shore nearly six miles further to the comment' 

 of the cliffs at Burton Castle, not far from Bridport The breadth of 

 the Chesil Bank is in some places near a quarter of a. mile, but com- 

 monly much leas. The base U formed of a mound of blue clay, which 

 is covered to the depth of four, five, or six feet by a coat of smooth 

 round pebbles, chiefly of white calcareous spar (these are called 

 Portland pebbles), but partly of quartz, chert, jasper, &o., so loose 

 that a horse's legs sink almost knee deep at every step. Marine 

 plant* grow in patches along the edge of the bank by the waterside. 

 The pebbly covering U continually shifting, iu consequence of the 

 ction of the winds and the sea. The fleet receives the water of 

 several nvuleU, and runs into the open sea at its south-eastern extre- 

 mity by a narrow channel called 'Small Mouti.' At the north-western 

 extremity it forms a ' swannery,' which once consisted of 7,000 swans. 

 The Fleet is much frequented by water-fowl, among which Dr. Maton 

 observed the wild swan. 



From Burton Castle the coast, generally abrupt and frequently high, 

 runs west-north-west 10 or 12 miles to the border of Devonshire : the 

 cliffs in this part are remarkable for the beauty and variety of the 

 fossils which they contain. The whole extent of the Dorsetshire 

 coast, including the circuit of the Isle of Portland, may be estimated 

 at above 75 miles. 



Surface, Hydrography, ComwKnica/toiu. The surface of this county 

 in for the most part uneven. The principal elevations are the chalk 

 downs, which, entering Dorsetshire from Wiltshire on the northern 

 side of Cranbourne Chase, 2 or 8 miles S.E. from Shaftesbury, turn 



to the south and run to the valley of the Stour, in the neighbourhood 

 of Blandford. From the valley of the Stour the chalk downs run 

 nearly west to the neighbourhood of Beaininster, and form tin- 

 northern boundary of the basin whose drainage is received by 1'oultt 

 Harbour. The hills near Beaminster form, with the exception of 

 some outlying masses, the western extremity of the great chalk 

 formation. The chalk hills from Beamiuster run south-east or east 

 and form the ' South Downs,' the highest points in which are along 

 the southern escarpment. The hills gradually approach the coast a 

 few miles north-east of Ifelcombe Regis. From Lulworth the chalk 

 hills run eastward to Handfast Point, the headland which separates 

 Studland and Swanage bays. Pillesdon Pen, west of Boaminster, 

 which is 984 feet high, is the highest point in the county, and belongs 

 to the greensaud formation. Swyre Hill, on the coast, near Kimme- 

 ridge, in the Isle of Purbeck, is 669 feet high. 



The Stour, the chief river of Dorsetshire, rises in Wiltshire, iu 

 Stourhead Park, on the border of Somersetshire, and running south 

 by east enters Dorsetshire between three and lour miles from its 

 source. Its course in Dorsetshire is generally in a south-east dir 

 and by a very winding channel. Its feeders are the Shn-eii, the 

 Liddcn, the Cale, and the Allen. After it receives the Allen the Stour 

 flows east-south-east 6 or 7 miles into Hampshire, after em . 

 it receives a considerable stream, 16 or 18 miles lon, IV. .1 

 bourne ; and about 4 miles lower it joins the Avon near Christchurch, 

 In Hampshire. The whole course of the Stour is nearly 05 miles. 

 It is navigable for about 40 miles to Sturminster Newton. 



The river Yeo, Ive, or Ivel, is formed by two brooks, one rising in 

 Somersetshire and one in Dorsetshire, which uniting near Milboume 

 Port (Somersetshire), and flowing south-west, enter Dorset -hire 

 between Milboume Port and Sherbourue, about 3 miles from tluir 

 respective sources. The Yeo then flows first west-south-west . 

 west-north-west for about 7 miles, when it again touches the border 

 of Somersetshire, along which it winds for about 3 miles, and t h.-n 

 entering Somersetshire flows north-west into the Parrel. The Stour 

 mid the Yeo carry off the drainage of all that port of the county 

 which lies north of the North Downs. 



The North and South Downs inclose the basin of the two rivers 

 Piddle, or Trent, and Frome, which unite in Poole Harbour below 

 Wareham, and from their situation with respect to that town are 

 respectively called Wareham North and Wareham South River. The 

 Piddle rises in the village of Alton on the southern declivity of the 

 North Downs, and flows south and south-east past Piddletrenthide 

 and Piddlehiuton to Piddletown. From Piddletown it has a general 

 east-south-east course about 22 miles in length to its entrance into 

 Poole Harbour. The Front rises on the Downs near Corscombe, 

 north-east of Beaminster, and flows south-east. At Maiden Newton 

 it receives a stream from the Downs near Beaminster. From Maiden 

 Newton the Frome flows south-east 8 miles to Dorchester. From 

 Dorchester it flows east nearly 20 miles into Poole Harbour, just upon 

 entering which it unites with the Piddle, and has the same low-water 

 channel as that river : its whole length to Poole Harbour U about 

 85 miles. For a considerable part of their course both the Frome 

 and the Piddle flow through low meadows ; the channel of each is 

 repeatedly divided and reunited. They are not navigable above 

 Wareham. 



The western extremity of the county is watered by the Bredy, 

 the Brit, the Char, and the Axe, which last rather belongs to 1 ' 

 shire. The Bredy flows westward 7 or 8 miles from Little Bredy into 

 the sea near Burton Bradstock, at the north-west extremity of the 

 ('Ill-nil Bank. The Brit rises near Beamiuster, on the southern slope 

 of the chalk hills, near the junction of the North and South Downs, 

 and flows south about 9 miles into the sea below Kridport ; the mouth 

 of it forms Bridport Harbour. The Char is about as long as the 

 Brit ; it rises near Pillesdon Pen, and flows south and south-west into 

 the sea at Charmouth. The Axe rises in Dorsetshire and flows for 

 some miles along the border of the county. 



Dorsetshire has no canals. The Dorset and Somerset Canal, for 

 -,\liicli .;.: -.'..I. obtained in 1796 and 1S03, but which was never 

 executed, was to have entered the county near Stalbridge and to li 

 followed the valley of the Stour till it opeurd into that livtr above 

 Blandford Forum. The intended English and Bristol Channel ship 

 Canal was to cross the western extremity of the county. 



The only passenger railway in Dorsetshire is the most western 



completed of the main line of the London and South-Western 



r -H the county a few miles west of Ringwood, and proceeds iu a 



south-westerly direction past Poole, where it crosses a portion of 



Poole Harbour, and sends off a short branch to the town of 1'oole, 



and forwards to Wareham, whence it proceeds in a westerly direction 



to Dorchester. It* total 1< "l< >u Dorsetshire is about 33 miles. 



The Peniance, Falmouth, and Kxeter mail-road crosses the county 

 in nearly its wh"l. i-\t. nt. It enters it near Woodyates Iun,l>. 

 Salisbury anil lilandt'<>rd, and runs south-west through WhiU hurt h 

 .ui<l PiddletoWB t.i Dorchester, and thence west by liri.lport mid 

 Charmouth to Axmin^t. r, in Devonshire. The Kxeter moil-road 

 crosses the northern part of the county, entering it near Shafte 

 and running thence sometimes in Somersetshire and sometimes in 

 Dorsetshire by Sherbourne to Yeovil, in Somersctuhire. It just 

 the western extremity and the detached portion of the county 



