The UK’s best market town named and it looks frozen in time

The UK’s best market town has been revealed as a southern location frozen in time. Dorchester on the banks of the River Frome in the Dorset Downs was named the top market town in the country by the Britain and Britishness blog.

It beat out the likes of second-placed Downham Market in Norfolk and Faversham in Kent which came third to the title. Dorchester was praised for its series of pathways, known as ‘The Walks’, which weave around the remains of its ancient Roman walls.

Dorset Museum, located in the town also contains a variety of Roman artefacts related to the town, which they named Durnovaria.

And its not the only museum in the town, with a wide array of different ones all a short distance away from each other including the Teddy Bear Museum, Dinosaur Museum and the Keep Military Museum.

But one of its most impressive displays is the Terracotta Warriors Museum, which is one of the few places the statues can be seen outside of China, albeit the ones on display are replicas.

Dorchester also has a rich literary history with novelist and poet Thomas Hardy basing the fictional town of Casterbridge on it and John Cowper Powys’s novel Maiden Castle situated in the town.

The town also has plenty for nature lovers such as the nearby Abbotsbury Swannery and Jurassic Coast. And like all good market towns, Dorchester is packed with charming independent stores such as Dorchester Curiosity Centre and the Goulds House Department store.

There is also a number of brilliant pubs to enjoy a post-shopping pint in from the King’s Arms to the Trumpet Major.

Those wishing to visit Dorchester can book into its Bay Tree House for about £80 per night in April.

One Tripadvisor reviewer said the bed and breakfast offered the perfect place to retreat after a walk around Dorchester.

The review read: “Great clean room and friendly homely vibe very accommodating host with a top-quality breakfast highly recommend.

“Stayed here on a business trip and will be booking again on next trip Gary and Nicola very eager to make my stray as pleasant as possible.”