a municipal and parliamentary borough of England, county of Dorset, on an eminence between the rivers Frome and Piddle, about a mile above their mouths, in the Wareham branch of Poole Harbour, and 15 miles E.S.E. from Dorchester. It consists of two main spacious streets, intersecting each other at right angles, and several smaller ones. The Frome is crossed by a stone bridge of five arches, and the Piddle by a similar one of three. The former is navigable for small craft up to the town. Wareham was formerly a place of much more importance than at present, and is said to have had seventeen churches; but these are now reduced to three, of which only one is used for public service. It is a large and ancient edifice, originally belonging to a priory, and is in the early English style, with a handsome tower, and contains some old monuments. There are also Independent, Methodist, and Unitarian chapels in the town. Wareham is surrounded by an ancient earthen rampart, the space between which and the town is now occupied by market gardens. The principal trade of the town is in a fine clay obtained in the neighbourhood and in demand for the Staffordshire and other potteries; and in vegetables for Poole, Portsmouth, &c. Many of the inhabitants are employed in the making of shirt-buttons, straw-plaiting, and stocking-knitting. It is governed by a mayor, 7 aldermen, and 21 councillors; and with Corfe Castle, Bere Regis, &c., returns one member to Parliament. Pop. of parliamentary borough (1851) 7218.