Thesaurus
Term:
Dorchester
Located on River Frome; once the Roman town of 'Durnovaria;' nearby remains include Roman ampitheater at Mambury Rings and prehistoric fort at Maiden Castle; site of Franciscan priory founded in 1331; was a cloth center in the 16th century; famous citizens include Thomas Hardy and the poet William Barnes; Judge Jeffreys held his Bloddy Assize here after Monmouth's Rebellion.