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Dorchester sits in the valley of the River Frome, serving as a functional and compact county town for Dorset. It is defined largely by its Roman origins, with the street plan still following the grid of Durnovaria and the ancient leafy avenues of the Roman Walls providing a natural boundary for the town centre. While it is famous for its connections to Thomas Hardy, the reality of the town today is a mix of traditional architectural styles and the ongoing, decades-long expansion at Poundbury to the west. Geographically, it is positioned about eight miles inland from the coast at Weymouth, with the A35 and A37 providing the main road links. The town is unusual for its size in having two railway stations - Dorchester South, which sits on the main line to London Waterloo, and Dorchester West, which connects up towards Bristol. Practical life here revolves around the central high street and the Brewery Square development, all of which remain overlooked by the massive Neolithic earthworks of Maiden Castle just on the southern outskirts.