West Dorset

West Dorset was a local government district in Dorset, England. The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester and Lyme Regis, along with Sherborne urban district and the rural districts of Beaminster, Bridport, Dorchester and Sherborne. Its council was based in Dorchester.

This article is about the abolished district. For the parliamentary constituency, see West Dorset (UK Parliament constituency).

West Dorset District
Non-metropolitan district
Image: 150 pixels
Coat of arms
West Dorset shown within Dorset
West Dorset shown within Dorset
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth West England
Non-metropolitan countyDorset
StatusAbolished
Admin HQDorchester
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyWest Dorset District Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet ( )
 • MPsChris Loder
Area
 • Total417.6 sq mi (1,081.5 km2)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total102,100
 • Density240/sq mi (94/km2)
 • Ethnicity
98.7% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code19UH (ONS)
E07000052 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSY5785299047
Websitewww.dorsetforyou.gov.uk

The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2019 and, together with the other four districts outside the greater Bournemouth area, replaced by a new Dorset unitary authority.[1]

Demography

At the 2001 census, West Dorset registered a population of 92,350. The population structure reflected the rural nature of the district. The area was a popular retirement area which also exported young people due to the lack of career options. This was reflected in the age structure, with 12.3% of the population over 75, compared to 7.5% in the whole of 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.

Westminster constituencies

Almost all of the West Dorset area fell within the West Dorset constituency; a small part was in South Dorset.

Settlements

The main settlements in West Dorset were Dorchester, Sherborne and Bridport. Dorchester, in the south of the district, is the county town of Dorset and has been an important settlement since Roman times. Sherborne, in the north, is an important market town which was, for a time, the capital of Wessex. Bridport, in the west, 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.

Places of interest
Maiden Castle in 1934: photograph by Major George Allen (1891–1940)

See also

References
  1. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (25 May 2018). "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2018.

50.79°N 2.60°W / 50.79; -2.60

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