The four ages of Dorchester

Wednesday, 20 April 2011 17:50

Dorchester on Thames once again "sits aside from the stirring world, and nods and dreams." - Jerome K Jerome, 1889.

Yes, I am reading Three Men in a Boat and at times I am crying with laughter! Then, Dorchester didn't have a bypass and didn't need one.

The C20th brought tourists, a larger population and a bypass, returning the historic town to its nodding and dreaming! We saw it at its best .....

So I said it had "four ages". Let's start at the beginning.

Neolithic to Iron Age - there is evidence of settlement in the Neolithic Age (last part of the Stone Age) and a sacred site, now destroyed by gravel pits. Castle Hill on the other side of the River Thames was an Iron Age ramparted settlement. Just to the north of our mooring are the Dyke Hills - the Iron Age people built these to enclose their settlement. Only rabbits live there now!

Dyke Hills

Saxon to Roman - The town became the centre of a Saxon settlement and Dorchester became the episcopal centre for Wessex.The present Abbey contains possible Saxon remains of the Anglo Saxon cathedral.

Dorchester Abbey lych gate (designed by Butterfield)

St Birinus was a missionary from Rome and baptised the King of the West Saxons in the River Thame. The then Bishop was granted land to build a timber cathedral church, probably on the existing Abbey site.

Reconstruction of St Birinus' Shrine in the Abbey

We visited the beautiful, peaceful and breathtaking Abbey - our photos are in our photo album and follow this link for the history of the Abbey.

As Dorchester is surrounded on three sides by water - The Thames and the River Thame - it was an ideal spot for the Romans to defend. They built their walls to defend the civil town, Doric,  attached to the nearby garrison of Alchester. Roman finds include an altar stone dedicated to the Roman god of Jupiter.

Medieval to Tudor - The Augustinian Monastery was founded in 1140 and the Abbey was built on the old Saxon foundation. At the dissolution of the Monasteries the Abbey church was saved by a rich man of Dorchester who paid £140 to Henry Vlll - the value of the lead on the roof. All the other buildings except the Guest House disappeared.

Abbey Guest House

Modern day - the Abbey is the greatest attraction, but the town became a focal point for travellers with a number of coaching inns; only two remain now.

The George

The road and 18th C bridge became a toll road - one of the first

Toll House with Abbey behind

There are some interesting buildings in the High Street. One is the Fleur de Lys inn of 1520, which is apparently popular with boaters! Beyond are some C15th thatched cottages,

Fleur de Lys

Further along is the post office (right) and a handsome Elizabethen half timbered house.

On a sunny, warm April day the town was quiet and lovely. The coach tour that had devoured the menu at The George disappeared as we arrived: possibly the only narrowboaters in town!