a town in the hundred of its name, in the county of Dorset, 117 miles from London. It was formerly a city, the see of a bishop, removed to Salisbury in the eleventh century. It is situated at the foot of a hill, with narrow and ill-built streets, and has no striking object except the old cathedral, now the parish church, one of the finest in the west of England. The only branch of industry is the silk trade, the throwing of which is carried on by machinery. Adjoining to the town is the magnificent seat of the Earl of Digby, Sherborne Castle, which was once the residence of Sir Walter Raleigh. The town is supplied with water by the river Ivel. There are markets on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The population amounted in 1821 to 3622, and in 1831 to 4075.