Discover Wareham, Dorset

Wareham, Dorset, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wareham_Saturday_Market_by_River_Frome_and_Bridge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_316316.jpg
Author: Simon Barnes


Wareham is a market town in the county of Dorset, England. It is located within the district of Purbeck, on the banks of the River Frome, about 13 km (8 mi) to the southwest of Poole. The town has a population of 8,400 comprising the parishes of Wareham Town and Wareham St Martin.

Located on a dry point between the River Frome and the River Piddle, at the head of the Wareham Channel, Wareham has been inhabited for thousands of years. Excavations reveal flint and pottery fragments going back to 9000 BC. Archaeologist have also uncovered evidence of a Roman settlement here.

The present town of Wareham dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It was mentioned for the first time in AD 784, in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle. There still exists in Wareham ancient earth ramparts dating back to the time of Alfred the Great in the 9th century. It was built to defend the town against pillaging by Vikings (Danes).

Church of St Martin's-on-the-Wall, Wareham: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wareham_St_Martin%27s_Church.JPG
Author: Charlesdrakew


Old Wareham was destroyed in a blaze in 1762. Two thirds of the original town was gone, and was rebuilt in the Georgian style, with houses of red brick and Purbeck limestone. The earlier street pattern remained unchanged. It is divided into four quarters by two main roads that intersect at right angles.

Visiting Wareham

From London, take the M3 motorway towards Southampton. at Junction 14, take the M27 motorway heading west. At Cadnam it continues as the A31 road. Between St Leonards and Ferndown, leave the A31 road and continue on the A348/Ringwood Road (signages here are small, so keep eyes open!). It continues west as the A3049 road, the A350 road and then the A35 road. At roundabout, make a nine o'clock turn to the A351 road and continue south till Wareham.

King's Arms Pub in Wareham: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King%27s_Arms,_Wareham,_Dorset_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1490996.jpg
Author: Peter Trimming

Places of Interest in Wareham

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Thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye. My hobby is to research information about places, and share the information with people on this website. I started this website on 5 January 2003, and since then, have written about over 20,000 places, mostly in Malaysia and Singapore.

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. While I try my best to provide you information that is as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors. Also, as I might not be able to update some information on time, some of these pages may contain outdated information.