Dorset is a maritime county with a long & varied coastline, & a long & complex history. Some aspects of this past are well known, others less so but all are equally fascinating, from the three thousand year old carving of a ship, which was found in Wales, but which depicts a vessel from Dorset, to the vicious pirates which infested the Isle of Purbeck. From the unlikely heroes who swept these pirates from the sea, to the merchants who sailed to Africa & brought gold & ivory to the tiny port of Lyme Regis. Even aspects of the coast that may seem dull, such as sea defences & land reclamation, can have an amazing history. From the first attempts to keep back the sea in the 770s, to the grandiose scheme nine hundred years later to drain the Fleet Lagoon, to the military men who turned their skills at fighting the French to fighting the sea, & who rebuilt the Cobb at Lyme Regis so that it has stood firm for two hundred years, the story is intriguing & exciting. Finally this book can suggest where you can see, perhaps surprising, traces of the coast's remarkable past. Evidence of the Black Death, which entered Britain at Weymouth in 1348, carvings of the ships which took the stone to pave London's streets, or the many different lifeboat stations at Lyme Regis (and the curious fate of the earliest). Dorset & the Sea tells the remarkable story of possibly Dorset's greatest natural resource & the relationship that Man has had with it over the millennia. ...

Dorset's pivotal role in the Second World War is well known, not least thanks to the researches & publications of Rodney Legg. In this new book, he turns his attentions to the county in the Great War
- the experience on the Home Front & Dorset's contribution to the eventual victory. Covering subjects as diverse as the Dorset Regiments, the vital Naval presence at Portland & Dorset's War Poets, Rodney Legg also emphasizes that in terms of interest for the reader, the bonus is that much of what happened in Dorset during the First World War turns out to have been either directly or indirectly due to the ideas & enthusiasms of Winston Churchill, including the ground-breaking development of the tank. Packed with information & illustrated with historic images, Dorset in the First World War is a fascinating portrait of how the " War to End all Wars" impacted on what in other circumstances might have remained a largely remote & bucolic corner of rural Engl&, that instead was thrust into the maelstrom of international conflict.
...

The first railway in Dorset was not a steam operated line, but one worked by horses & gravity, to transport Portland stone from the quarries to the sea. However, the first true main line in the county was the Southampton & Dorchester which opened on 1 June 1847 followed by the Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth Railway (WSWR) which reached Weymouth on 20 January 1857. The Southampton & Dorchester Railway had running power over the line between Dorchester and Weymouth & opened to Weymouth in 1857. The Salisbury & Yeovil Railway opened to Gillingham in 1859, & to Yeovil & onwards to Exeter in 1860. The Dorset Central Railway was inaugurated between Wimborne & Blandford in November 1860 & northwards to Cole in 1862 where it linked with the Somerset Central Railway, the two companies uniting as the Somerset & Dorset Railway. The extension to Bath opened on 20 July 1874 creating a new main line. Thus was established the pattern of four main lines in Dorset: two running Approx. east to west & two north to south. From these main lines, branches were created to serve places off a main line such as to Lyme Regis, Bridport, Abbotsbury, Portland & Swanage. For decades these branch lines flourished, but eventually the more convenient internal-combustion engined vehicles rendered these branches uneconomic & they were closed around the time of the 1963 Beeching Report. Colin Maggs, the renowned expert on railway history, tells the fascinating tale of the railways & the impact they had on the lives of everyone in the county. The nostalgic branch lines with their small local trains & the main lines with their thundering expresses, are all part of a rich heritage which is explored in an expert text & in more than two hundred evocative images to present an absorbing view of Dorset's recent past. ...

This book celebrates the rich archaeological heritage of the Dorset landscape which is guardian to some of the finest sites in Engl&, including great hillforts such as Maiden Castle, countless barrow cemeteries, spectacular Roman roads & the romantic ruin of Corfe Castle. It introduces archaeology to all who are interested in Dorset's beautiful landscape & reveals some of the fascinating finds that have been discovered by archaeologists during important evacuations in the county. This book will be the essential companion to understanding the face of Dorset
- however humble, even the faintest mark on the landscape has a tale to tell.
...

The remarkable new novel from the bestselling author of Everything & Nothing is a warm & heartbreaking tale of three generations of women. In a higgledy-piggledy house with turrets & tunnels towering over the sleepy Welsh village of Druith, two girls play hide & seek. They don't see its grandeur or the secrets locked behind doors they cannot open. They see lots of brilliant places to hide. Squeezed under her mother's bed, pulse racing with the thrill of a new hiding place Dot sees something else: a long-forgotten photograph of a man, his hair blowing in the breeze. Dot stares so long at the photograph the image begins to disintegrate before her eyes, & as the image fades it is replaced with one thought: 'I think it's definitely him.' DOT is the story of one little girl & how her one small action changes the lives of those around her for ever. ...

Books Activity Packs Get in the festive spirit with this amazing Christmas-themed Dot-to-Dot & Activity Book! With 60 pages of Christmas fun to enjoy!   Product Information:  •†ISBN:† 5033601017035 •†Author: Eurowrap  •†Publisher:†  Eurowrap  •†Format:†  Paperback •†Pages:† 60 •†Dimensions:† 30.5 x 23.9 x 0.4 cm ...

Books Activity Packs Help Paw Patrol with this dot-to-dot adventure! Perfect for keeping your little one busy! Product Information: •†ISBN:†9781788244350 •†Author: Alligator Books •†Publisher:†Alligator Books •†Format:†Paperback •†Pages:†16 •†Dimensions:†0.5 x 21.0 x 29.7 cm ...

This thrilling collection of puzzles introduces adults to the magical world of dot-to-dot, where the simple making of pencil

...

Join Detective Dot in all sorts of adventures as she loves super-sour sweets, running fast & tricky mysteries in this fantastic 6 book collection! With the help of her best friend Beans & her dog Mc Clusky, Dot loves to sniff out a good mystery... Together, they will solve the case & save the day! Product Information:• ISBN: 9780007978946• Author: Clara Vulliamy • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers• Format: Paperback
- Book Collection• Dimensions: 19 x 13 x 7cm
...

A brilliant pack of 10 brightly coloured polka dot fabric squares.

Perfect for a variety of craft projects including patchwork,

...