Dorchester is a market town in southern central Dorset, England, on the River Frome at the junction of the A35 and A37, 20 miles west of Poole and eight miles north of Weymouth. In 2001 the town had a population of 16,171 and a catchment population of approximately 40,000. There were 7,386 dwellings in 2001 and 205 shops in 1991.