The Ceremonial County of Dorset is situated in South West England.
The area of Dorset is 1,040 Square Miles (2,695 Square Kilometres). Making Dorset the 32nd largest county in Great Britain (out of 91) and the 18th largest county in England (out of 48).
Dorset's name comes from the Old English Sette, meaning settler, and Dorn, a shortened form of Dornwaraceaster, the Saxon name for Dorchester.
This means "the land of settlers around Dorchester," with the Saxons recognising Dorchester as a fortified Romano-British town as the major settlement in the area.
Dorchester's earlier name, Durnovaria, is of unknown origin. It may derive from the local British tribe, the Durotriges, or perhaps from its position at a river crossing.
A map showing the geology of Dorset.
| Map Key | Description |
|---|---|
| 3 | LIMESTONE, SANDSTONE, SILTSTONE AND MUDSTONE |
| 18 | MUDSTONE, SILTSTONE, LIMESTONE AND SANDSTONE |
| 21 | MUDSTONE, SILTSTONE AND SANDSTONE |
| 28 | SAND, SILT AND CLAY |
| 30 | CHALK |
| 43 | SANDSTONE, LIMESTONE AND ARGILLACEOUS ROCKS |
| 48 | MUDSTONE, SANDSTONE AND LIMESTONE |
| 57 | SANDSTONE AND MUDSTONE |
| 72 | LIMESTONE AND CALCAREOUS SANDSTONE |
| 79 | CLAY, SILT, SAND AND GRAVEL |
| 85 | LIMESTONE AND MUDSTONE, INTERBEDDED |
A map showing the boundary of Dorset in relation to other counties.
Map of the County of Dorset
| Zoom Level | Latitude | Longitude |
| 6 | 53.521968 | -2.164306 |