By Tim Lambert

Early Dorchester

c. 60 The Romans found a town called Durnovaria

2nd Century Roman Dorchester is improved with stone buildings replacing wooden ones

4th Century Roman Dorchester is given stone walls

407 The Roman army leaves England and Roman towns are abandoned

c. 1000 Dorchester revives as a small market town

1200 Dorchester has a population of about 1,000

1250 Dorchester has 3 annual fairs and a wool industry

Renaissance Dorchester

1563 Dorchester is struck by plague

1567 A grammar school is founded in Dorchester

1579 The plague returns to Dorchester

1595 Plague strikes Dorchester again

1610 Dorchester is given a charter

1613 Dorchester is badly damaged by fire

1615 Nappers Mite Almshouses are founded

1625 Trinity School is founded

1630 The charter is renewed

1643 During the Civil War royalists capture Dorchester

1685 Following a failed rebellion 312 people are tried in Dorchester and 13 are executed in the town.

1700 Dorchester has a population of about 1,700. The old wool industry is in decline.

1775 Dorchester suffers a fire

1776 Thatched roofs are banned in Dorchester because of the risk of fire

19th Century Dorchester

1801 Dorchester has a population of 2,042

1834 The Tolpuddle Martyrs are tried in Dorchester

1835 Dorchester gains gas light

1841 The County Hospital opens in Dorchester

1845 A museum opens in Dorchester

1848 Dorchester has an outbreak of cholera

1854 Cholera strikes Dorchester again

1847 The railway reaches Dorchester. A new Town Hall is built.

1850s Sewers are dug in Dorchester

1856 Dorchester gains a cemetery

1860 Dorchester gains a piped water supply

1895 Borough Gardens are laid out

20th Century Dorchester

1901 The population of Dorchester is about 9,000. Dorchester gains an electricity supply.

1911 The first cinema opens in Dorchester

1931 A statue of Thomas Hardy is erected

1966 A new library is built

1986 The Dorset Martyrs statue is erected

1987 The West Dorset Hospital is built

1988 Dorset bypass is built

1994 Keep Military Museum opens

1994 A sports centre opens

2017 The population of Dorchester is about 19,000

A history of Dorchester

A timeline of Poole

A timeline of Bournemouth

A timeline of Yeovil

A timeline of Taunton