Place:


Wareham  Dorset

 

In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Wareham like this:

Wareham, market town, Dorset, between the Piddle and the Frome, near their influx to a creek of Poole harbour, 15 miles E. of Dorchester and 123½ miles SW. of London by rail, 124 ac., pop. 2112; P.O., T.O., 2 Banks, 1 newspaper. Market-day, Tuesday. The town comprises parts of the parishes of Wareham Holy Trinity, 2670 ac. ...


(150 water), pop. 818; Wareham Lady St Mary, 823 ac., pop. 1476; and Wareham St Martin, 4873 ac. (840 water), pop. 730; and is a place of great antiquity, which figured in British, Roman, and Saxon times. It is still surrounded on three sides by the old British earth wall. There was at one time a considerable harbour, which became choked up. No vestige remains of the castle. There is a 5-arched bridge over the Frome, and a 3-arched bridge over the Piddle. Trade is carried on in corn and cattle, and in fine potters' clay. Horace Walpole (1717-1797) was a native. Wareham was anciently a borough by precription (so styled in Domesday Book), and was chartered by Queen Elizabeth. It sent 2 members to Parliament from Edward I. until 1832 (when its parliamentary limits were extended), and 1 member from 1832 until 1885.

Wareham through time

Wareham is now part of Purbeck district. Click here for graphs and data of how Purbeck has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Wareham itself, go to Units and Statistics.

How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Wareham, in Purbeck and Dorset | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/924

Date accessed: 19th March 2024


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