List of sanitary districts in Dorset

Under the Public Health Acts 1873 and 1875 the Poor Law Unions were used as the basis for sanitary districts. All municipal boroughs and areas with bodies such as improvement commissioners became Urban Sanitary Districts. (Any area which acquired borough or urban status after the Act also became at that point an Urban Sanitary District). The remaining areas of the country - i.e., the Unions minus the urban areas - became Rural Sanitary Districts.

Under the Local Government Act 1894 the Urban and Rural Sanitary Districts in Dorset were succeeded by Urban Districts and Rural Districts.

Sanitary districts in Dorset between 1875 and 1894

Axminster RSD

In Devon but also covered the following parishes, then in Dorset:

Beaminster RSD

Dorset:

Somerset:

Blandford RSD

Blandford Forum USD

Bridport RSD

Bridport USD

Cerne RSD

Chard RSD

In Somerset but also covered the following parish, at that time in Dorset:

Dorchester RSD

Dorchester USD

Kinson USD

Lyme Regis USD

Mere RSD

In Wiltshire but also covered the following Dorset parishes:

Poole RSD

Poole USD

Portland USD

Shaftesbury RSD

Shaftesbury USD

Sherborne RSD

Dorset:

Somerset:

Sherborne USD

Sturminster RSD

Swanage USD

Wareham and Purbeck RSD

Wareham USD

Weymouth RSD

Weymouth and Melcombe Regis USD

Wimborne and Cranborne RSD

Wimborne Minster USD

Wincanton RSD

In Somerset but covered the following Dorset parishes: