West Dorset
|
|
| West Dorset District | |
|---|---|
 Shown within Dorset | |
| Geography | |
| Status: | District |
| Region: | South West England |
| Admin. County: | Dorset |
| Area: - Total | Ranked 20th 1,081.48 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Dorchester |
| ONS code: | 19UH |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2003 est.) - Density | Ranked 233rd 94,730 88 / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 98.7% White |
| Politics | |
 West Dorset District Council http://www.westdorset-dc.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Conservative |
| MPs: | Jim Knight, Oliver Letwin |
West Dorset is a local government district and parliamentary constituency in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Dorchester. The district covers the same geographical area as the Dorset West constituency.
| Contents |
Demographics
In the Census 2001 West Dorset registered a population of 92,350, estimated to be 94,000 as of 2004. The population structure reflects the rural nature of the district. 52% of the population are female. The area is a popular retirement area which also exports young people due the low choice of career options. This is reflected in the age structure, with 12.3% of the population over 75, compared to 7.5% in England; 51.7% are between 15 and 59, compared to 59.1% in England. 34.4% of dwellings are pensioner households, compared to 23.8% in England.
The district is an extreme example of the low ethnic minority populations in rural areas, with 96.7% white British ethnicity, compared to 87.0% in England.
The district has a high level of car ownership, at 83.1% of households compared to 73.2% in England.
Settlements
The main settlements in West Dorset are Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, in the south of the district, an important settlement since Roman times. In the north of the district Sherborne is an important market town which was, for a time, the capitol of Wessex. Lyme Regis and Bridport are tourist towns on the Jurassic Coast in the south of the district.
- Settlements with a population over 2,500 are in bold.
- Abbotsbury, Allington, Alton Pancras, Askerwell
- Batcombe, Beaminster, Beer Hackett, Bettiscombe, Bincombe, Bishops Caundle, Bothenhampton, Bradford Abbas, Bradford Peverell, Bradpole, Bridport, Broadmayne, Broadwindsor, Buckland Newton, Burstock, Burton Bradstock, Castleton, Cattistock, Caundle Marsh, Cerne Abbas, Charminster, Charmouth, Cheselbourne, Chetnole, Chickerell, Chideock, Clifton Maybank, Compton Valence, Corscombe, Crossways
- Dewlish, Dorchester
- Evershot
- Fleet, Folke, Frampton, Frome St Quintin, Frome Vauchurch
- Godmanstone
- Halstock, Hermitage, Hilfield, Holnest, Holwell, Hooke
- Langton Herring, Leigh, Lillington, Littlebredy, Litton Cheney, Loders, Long Bredy, Longburton, Lyme Regis
- Maiden Newton, Marshwood, Melbury Bubb, Melbury Osmond, Melcombe Horsey, Minterne Magna, Mosterton
- Netherbury, Nether Compton
- Oborne, Osmington, Over Compton, Owermoigne
- Piddlehinton, Piddletrenthide, Portesham, Poundbury, Powerstock, Poyntington, Puddletown, Puncknowle, Purse Caundle
- Rampisham, Ryme Intrinseca
- Sandford Orcas, Seaborough, Sherborne, Shipton Gorge, South Perrott, Stanton St Gabriel, Stinsford, Stoke Abbott, Stratton, Swyre, Sydling St Nicholas, Symondsbury
- Thorncombe, Thornford, Tincleton, Toller Porcorum, Tolpuddle, Trent
- Warmwell, West Knighton, West Stafford, Whitechurch Canonicorum, Winterborne Monkton, Winterborne St Martin, Winterbourne Abbas, Winterbourne Steepleton, Woodsford, Wootton Fitzpaine
- Yetminster
Places of intrest
- Abbotsbury Castle
- Abbotsbury Swanery
- Chesil Beach
- Dorset Downs
- Golden Cap
- Jurassic Coast
- Kingston Russell
- Maiden Castle
- Pilsdon Pen
- Poundbury Hill
- Rampisham Down
- River Frome
- Sherborne Abbey
- Sherborne Castle
- Sherborne House
See also
| Districts of England - South West England | 
|
|
Bath and North East Somerset | Bournemouth | Bristol | Caradon | Carrick | Cheltenham | Christchurch | Cotswold | East Devon | East Dorset | Exeter | Forest of Dean | Gloucester | Isles of Scilly | Kennet | Kerrier | Mendip | Mid Devon | North Cornwall | North Devon | North Dorset | North Somerset | North Wiltshire | Penwith | Plymouth | Poole | Purbeck | Restormel | Salisbury | Sedgemoor | South Gloucestershire | South Hams | South Somerset | Stroud | Swindon | Taunton Deane | Teignbridge | Tewkesbury | Torbay | Torridge | West Devon | West Dorset | West Somerset | West Wiltshire | Weymouth and Portland | |
|
Administrative counties with multiple districts: Cornwall - Devon - Dorset - Gloucestershire - Somerset - Wiltshire |