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HOW IT RATES Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, dates back to Roman times and beyond. Evidence of this can be found at the Roman town house in the grounds of County Hall or Maumbury Rings, where the Romans built an amphitheatre. It was in Dorchester, in 1685, that Judge Jeffreys presided over the Bloody Assizes after the Duke of Monmouth's defeat at Sedgemoor. But the town is most famous for being “Casterbridge” in Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge. The historic Wednesday market takes place a few steps from Dorchester West station.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS The town is notable for 17th-century houses, but there are also some centrepieces such as the Town Pump and Max Gate, Hardy's home, as well as St Peter's Church and Maiden Castle, which is two miles out of town. At Cerne Abbas, a small village eight miles north of Dorchester, is the famous chalk outline of a naked giant.

WHAT'S NEW Poundbury is an entire village development on the outskirts of Dorchester. Designed for the Prince of Wales, it mixes traditional architecture with modern town planning.

QUALITY OF LIFE Pretty good. Dorchester is growing fast and there is investment in shops, restaurants and other facilities, but the town is also proud of its history and setting. Nearby Chesil Beach forms a lagoon and is home to a swannery. Cerne Abbas was recently chosen as Britain's most desirable village by Savills, which described it as “strikingly beautiful”.

TRAVEL There are two stations in the town, Dorchester South and Dorchester West; both are in the southwest of the centre. Dorchester South has hourly trains to London Waterloo, and Dorchester West has services to Bath and Bristol. The town is easy to navigate by foot or bike.

SMARTEST STREETS The Manor Park area is in the south part of town, with 1930s houses on tree-lined avenues. There is more of a village feel in Fordington Green, which has older Victorian homes. There are four-bedroom detached houses in both areas for between £600,000 and £700,000. Top of the surrounding areas are Martinstown, the Piddle Valley, Cerne Abbas and Sydling St Nicholas.

BEST RESTAURANTS There is not a huge amount to choose from. Sienna is probably the best of the crop, where there is an emphasis on local and seasonal food. There are a couple of nice Italians, Prezzo and La Gondola. At Cerne Abbas the Royal Oak pub serves some excellent local meals, cooked by the owner's son.

TOP NIGHTLIFE Dorchester Arts Centre has a lively programme of events, including theatre and music performances, workshops, blues nights and puppet shows. Borough Gardens is the setting for several events in the spring and summer. Dorchester Festival (May 22-26) takes over the Gardens, with music for all.

EDUCATION The town has two private schools, Dorchester Preparatory School and Sunninghill Preparatory School. It also has two very well-respected state schools: the Dorchester Middle School and the Thomas Hardye School, which was named after a local merchant and pirate and traces its origins to 1569.

WORKING LIFE The town is the administrative centre of the county, with 50 per cent of people working in public administration, education and health. Major employers include Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council and Dorset County Hospital.

UPSIDE An idyllic English town with bustling shopping areas, elegant 17th-century houses and a strong cultural life. There are museums dedicated to dinosaurs, teddy bears, the military and cider.

DOWNSIDE The Poundbury development still divides opinion, although no one can deny the economic benefits it has brought. Dorchester is not always the liveliest place to be after 6pm.

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