Dorset

Dorset is a county in south-west England, on the south coast. It was formerly known as Dorsetshire, but this usage is now outdated. The county is famed for its Jurassic Coast, which extends into the neighbouring county of Devon. The fossilised remains of dinosaurs are found here in abundance and some of the earliest described specimens came from the dramatic cliffs of the Dorset Coast. Principal towns in Dorset are Poole, Bournemouth, Wareham, Dorchester, Wimbourne Minster and Bridport. Near Dorchester stands the impressive Iron Age Hillfort of Maiden Castle, a man-made defensive earthen mound which is a relic of England's Celtic past. Dorset has borders with Wiltshire, Somerset, Hampshire and Devon.