Few towns in England can match Dorchester’s market heritage. Records from 1228 show a royal market in the town centre, yet even then it was considered too ancient to need a formal grant. By medieval times Dorchester had three weekly markets and three annual fairs, and in 1305, the year it became county town of Dorset, those rights were sealed by royal charter. It’s a trading heritage that runs deep.

Fairfield has been part of that story since the mid-19th century, when the livestock market relocated here from the town centre. The weekly Wednesday market has been a fixture of local life ever since: a place to browse, shop, catch up with familiar faces, and pick up something good for the week ahead. Every Sunday morning the site also hosts a very popular car boot sale, where you’ll find a number of our Wednesday traders again!

In April 2026, Dorchester Town Council took over with enthusiasm and plenty of ambition, with a focus on bringing in new traders, new visitors to the market and making real improvements to the Fairfield site itself – all with the goal of giving Dorchester a market that the whole community can be genuinely proud of.