North Dorset is a local government district in Dorset, England. It is laregely rural, but includes the towns of Blandford Forum, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Stalbridge and Sturminster Newton. Much of North Dorset is in the River Stour valley and is called the Blackmore Vale. The economy of North Dorset is largely dairy agriculture based.

The member of parliament for North Dorset is Robert Walter.

At the 2001 UK census North Dorset had a population of 61,905, a rise of 8,300 from 1991, with 25,248 households.

Settlements

Towns with a population over 2,500 are in bold.

• Anderson, Ashmore
• Blandford Forum, Bourton, Bryanston, Buckhorn Weston
• Cann, Charlton Marshall, Chettle, Child Okeford, Compton Abbas
• Durweston
• East Orchard, East Stour
• Farnham, Fifehead Magdalen, Fifehead Neville, Fontmell Magna
• Gillingham, Glanvilles Wootton
• Hilton, Hinton St Mary
• Ibberton, Iwerne Courtney, Iwerne Minster
• Kington Magna
• Lydlinch
• Manston, Mappowder, Marnhull, Melbury Abbas, Milborne St Andrew, Milton Abbas, Motcombe
• Okeford Fitzpane
• Pimperne, Pulham
• Shaftesbury, Shillingstone, Silton, Spetisbury, Stalbridge, Stourpaine, Stour Provost, Stourton Caundle, Stour Row, Sturminster Newton, Sutton Waldron
• Tarrant Gunville, Tarrant Hinton, Tarrant Kayneston, Tarrant Launceston, Tarrant Monkton, Tarrant Rushton, Todber, Turnworth
• West Orchard, West Stour, Winterborne Houghton, Winterborne Kingston, Winterborne Stickland, Winterborne Whitechurch, Winterborne Zelston, Woolland

External links

• The Blackmore Vale Magazine (http://www.bvp.co.uk/)
• 2001 Census data for North Dorset (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/19ue.asp)