West Dorset

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West Dorset District
Arms of West Dorset District Council.svg
West Dorset UK locator map.svg
West Dorset shown within Dorset
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region South West England
Non-metropolitan county Dorset
StatusAbolished
Admin HQ Dorchester
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
  TypeNon-metropolitan district council
  BodyWest Dorset District Council
  Leadership Leader & Cabinet ( )
   MPs Chris Loder
Area
  Total417.6 sq mi (1,081.5 km2)
  Rank (of 314)
Population
 (2021)
  Rank (of 314)
  Ethnicity
98.7% White
Time zone UTC0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code 19UH (ONS)
E07000052 (GSS)
OS grid reference SY5785299047
Website www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk

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.

Contents

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) Maiden Castle from the air, 1934.jpg
Maiden Castle in 1934: photograph by Major George Allen (1891–1940)

See also

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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°47′N2°36′W / 50.79°N 2.60°W / 50.79; -2.60