Dorset, Ceremonial county in South West England.
Dorset is a ceremonial county in South West England, stretching between Somerset to the north, Wiltshire to the northeast, Hampshire to the east, and the English Channel to the south. The landscape shifts between chalk cliffs along the coast, rolling hills inland, and wide beaches that run for miles.
The county emerged as an administrative unit in the early medieval period and kept its boundaries largely unchanged for centuries. Reorganizations in the 1970s and 1990s altered the internal administration, while the outer shape of the territory remained.
Thomas Hardy wrote his novels about this county, which he called Wessex, and his stories still shape how visitors see the landscape. In Dorchester and the surrounding villages, bookshops, museums and signposts recall the literary connection that draws many travelers here.
Those exploring the coast should follow the South West Coast Path, which runs through the entire area and provides access to most points of interest. Weymouth and Bournemouth serve as good starting points for travelers who want to reach both beaches and the inland countryside.
In Cerne Abbas there is a giant figure cut into a hillside whose exact age no one can determine with certainty. Archaeologists suspect it might be Roman, medieval, or even older, but the origin remains a mystery to this day.
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