Poundbury

About

Developed on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Poundbury was the brainchild of the Prince of Wales to build an urban extension to the historic county town of Dorchester.

With plans drawn up more than 25 years ago by the Prince of Wales and his team of architects, the project was set to design a development uniquely styled with an ethical blue print to provide a settlement with a distinctive character all of its own.

Although very new as an emerging project Poundbury has a rich history. Close by you will find Poundbury Hill Fort which dates back to the Middle Bronze Age. The hill fort's outer defences were damaged by the construction of a 12 mile long Roman aqueduct, which supplied fresh water daily to the major town of Durnovaria (Dorchester) from nearby Notton. The western and southern sides of the hill fort were later adapted during the Second World War to provide defence against tanks.

With two thirds of the project now complete Poundbury is now home to a school, a chocolate factory, a plethora of unique and independent shops and a number of fine eating establishments; not forgetting the more than two and a half thousand people that now call it home. With building work ongoing once complete it’s thought that the completed Poundbury will see Dorchester’ population increase by as much as 25%.

Queen Mother Square provides the central hub and the heartbeat of Poundbury. Opened by The Queen in October 2016 with the unveiling of the Philip Jackson bronze statue of the Queen Mother it provides the focal point for the square and offers a generous open air space used for many events and food fairs for locals and visitors to enjoy during the year.

Set on the square is the recently opened Duchess of Cornwall pub which is part of the local and very successful Hall & Woodhouse Brewery based in Blandford. With the option for having a relaxing bite to eat or a drink in the sunshine it provides a wonderful location to sit and watch the world go by.

With so much to see and with new additions being added all of the time Poundbury provides a wonderful location for a leisurely stroll and an afternoon of exploring.