The Victoria County History publishes classic ‘Red Book’ volumes and, more recently, a ‘Shorts’ series produced in paperback to bring research into larger towns to publication as swiftly as possible.
The plan for the Dorset VCH is to produce 33 red book volumes, each of around 200,000 words. These will be published as they are completed. Some ‘Shorts’ volumes will be published prior to their ultimate inclusion in red book volumes.
The division of the county considers both the natural hinterlands of towns and the administrative areas known as hundreds, which were the principal units of administration from the Saxon period until the mid 19th century. The order in which volumes will be produced depends on the availability of external funding and the accessibility of historical records. The map and list on this page are of draft plans which are likely to change during the project.
Code and volume title
BA Bradford Abbas and south-west Sherborne hundred
BE Beaminster town and hundred
BF Blandford Forum and western Pimperne hundred
BH Brownshall hundred, Stalbridge and south-east Sherborne hundred
BN Buckland Newton hundred
BR Bere Regis, Loosebarrow and Hundredsbarrow hundreds
BT Bridport and surrounding parishes
BV Bride Valley and north Ugscombe hundred
CA Cerne Abbas and Cerne, Totcombe and Modbury hundred
CC Corfe Castle and Hasler hundred
CE Cranborne Chase, east
CW Cranborne Chase, west
DO Dorchester and surrounding parishes in St George hundred
GL Gillingham Liberty and adjacent parishes
LR Lyme Regis and the west coast
MN Maiden Newton, with Tollerford and Eggardon hundreds
NW North Winterborne Whiteway and part of Combsditch hundred
PC Portland, Chesil beach and south Ugscombe hundred
PD Puddletown town and hundred
PL Poole and part of Cogdean hundred
RL Redlane hundred and part of Sixpenny Handley
SH Sherborne town and parishes to the north (including those transferred from
Somerset to Dorset and not covered by Somerset VCH)
SN Sturminster Newton town and hundred
SR Swanage and Rowbarrow hundred
SW South Winterborne Valley
SY Shaftesbury borough and surrounding parishes
TV East Pimperne hundred and the Tarrant Valley
WA Wareham and part of Cogdean hundred
WC Whitchurch Canonicorum hundred
WM Wimborne Minster and Badbury hundred
WW Winfrith hundred, including Wool
WY Weymouth, Melcombe Regis and surrounding parishes
YT Yetminster and northern Tollerford hundred