Dorset Historical Facts

The famous Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset, is England's fifth steepest street at 16:09 degrees.

Dorset was the first county in England to cultivate cabbages, when it was brought across from Holland in 1539 by Sir Anthony Ashley (1551 - 1628). His beautiful ornate tomb can be seen in the church at the village of Wimborne St Giles, Dorset. The Polyhedron at the feet of the effigies of Sir Anthony and his wife, is believed by many to represent a cabbage.

In 1651 after losing the battle of Worcester, Charles II stayed in Bridport before fleeing to France.

The coastal town of Bridport in Dorset was once famous for its Rope-making, with some of the rope being used for making hangmen's nooses. These nooses became famously known as 'a Bridport dagger'. Bridport also made the nets for England's World Cup victory in 1966

After the author H G Wells died in London in 1946, his sons decided to spread his ashes between Dorset and the Isle of Wight. Leaving Poole harbour, the Channel was very choppy bobbing their hired boat, The Diedre, about. They abandoned their original idea, and when abeam Old Harry rock near Swanage, spread his ashes to the wind there instead.

Studland Bay, in Dorset, is the only known breeding ground in the UK for the spiney and short-snouted sea horse.

In the 1973 Hovis bread TV ad filmed on Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset, the young lad pushing his bicycle up the hill was 13 year old Carl Barlow. He went on to a 30 year career with the London Fire Brigade.

Studland Beach in Dorset, has been used by naturists for nearly 100 years. Two of its naturist visitors were author George Bernhard Shaw and children's authoress Enid Blyton. With her familiarity of the area, the nearby village of Studland was the basis for Toytown in her Noddy books and used again in her Famous Five stories.