Settling in · Dorchester
Landing in Dorchester? Start here.
The first fortnight in Dorchester, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
72 places in Dorchester worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Lime Walk Gospel Hall
Christian, Plymouth brethren
A4130 South Oxfordshire, OX10 0RG
About 3 km away
Foxhall Gospel Hall (Plymouth Brethren Christian Church)
Christian, Plymouth brethren
Didcot OX11 7AB
About 7 km away
The Catholic Church of the English Martyrs
Christian, Catholic
Manor Crescent, Didcot, OX11 7AJ
About 7 km away
Saint Mary and Saint Berin
Christian, Anglican
Wimblestraw Road, South Oxfordshire, OX10 7NA
About 2 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Oxford
About 12 km away
Wheatley Park School Sixth Forom, Sixth Forom, Wheatley Holton, Oxfordshire, OX33 1QH
Worship services: Wed 7:15pm · Sun 10:00am · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Reading
About 28 km away
Whitley Children's Centre, 252 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, England, RG2 8LT
Worship services: Tue 6:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Swindon
About 41 km away
Park South Community Centre, Cranmore avenue, Swindon, SN3 2ER
Worship services: Tue 8:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Food and takeaways
New Chinese Cottage
Chinese. takeaway
7 Park Road, Didcot, OX11 8QL
About 7 km away
New Beijing
Chinese. takeaway
42 Wantage Road, Didcot, OX11 0BT
About 7 km away
Chor Muang
Thai. restaurant
50 Wantage Road, Didcot, OX11 0BT
About 8 km away
Chillies Indian Takeaway
Indian. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-23:00
Dunnock Way, Oxford, OX4 7EX
About 8 km away
Chaba Thai
Thai. restaurant. Hours: 12:00-15:00,18:00-22:00
20 High Street, Vale of White Horse, OX14 5AX
About 9 km away
Tiffins Tandoori
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 17:30-23:30
5-7 Bath Street, Vale of White Horse, OX14 3QH
About 9 km away
Comie's Caribbean
Caribbean. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Fr 12:00-21:00; Sa-Su 14:00-21:00
202 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 6NQ
About 10 km away
Sports and clubs
Abingdon Vale Cricket Club
Cricket. Sports centre
St Helen's Wharf, Vale of White Horse, OX14 5EL
About 8 km away
Didcot Wave Leisure Pool
Swimming, fitness. Sports centre
Newlands Avenue, Didcot, OX11 8NX
About 8 km away
Oracle Pool & Snooker Club
Snooker. Sports centre
21-27 Ock Street, Vale of White Horse, OX14 5AJ
About 9 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Didcot Angling Centre
Tackle shop, and the place to ask where to fish and about permits
36 Wantage Road, Didcot, OX11 0BT
About 7 km away
Community and support groups
Radley Village Hall
Community centre
Gooseacre Vale of White Horse, OX14 3BL
About 7 km away
The Berin Centre
Community centre
Wimblestraw Road, South Oxfordshire, OX10 7LZ
About 2 km away
Clifton Hampden Village Hall
Community centre
Abingdon Road, South Oxfordshire, OX14 3EE
About 3 km away
Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall
Community centre
A4074 South Oxfordshire, OX44 9NX
About 5 km away
Northern Neighbourhood Community Centre
Community centre. Hours: "Bookable"
Dan Read Parade, South Oxfordshire, OX11 6BD
About 8 km away
District Community Centre
Community centre
1 Gentian Mews, Vale of White Horse, OX11 6GR
About 8 km away
Aston Tirrold Village Hall
Community centre
Thorpe Street, South Oxfordshire, OX11 9EQ
About 8 km away
Southern Neighbourhood Community Centre
Community centre
Sorrel Crescent, Didcot, OX11 6HQ
About 9 km away
Abingdon & District Conservative Club
Community centre
59 Ock Street, Vale of White Horse, OX14 5AG
About 9 km away
Blewbury Village Hall
Community centre
Hagbourne Path, Vale of White Horse, OX11 9QQ
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
Wisteria Avenue Hair Salon
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu 10:00-16:00, We-Th 11:30-20:00, Fr 10:00-19:30, Sa 09:00-17:00
4 East St Helen Street, Vale of White Horse, OX14 5EE
About 8 km away
Elite Barbers
Hairdresser
21 High Street, Vale of White Horse, OX14 5AR
About 9 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Abingdon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-19:00; Th 09:00-13:00; Sa 09:00-16:30; Su,PH off
Vale of White Horse, OX14 3LY
About 9 km away
Littlemore Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 14:00-18:00; Tu 14:00-16:30; Th 09:30-12:30,14:00-16:30; Fr 09:30-12:30; Sa 09:30-13:30
Peter's Way, Oxford, OX4 6LB
About 9 km away
Berinsfield Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Green Furlong, South Oxfordshire, OX10 7NR
About 2 km away
Benson Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Church Road, South Oxfordshire, OX10 6SD
About 5 km away
Wallingford Libary
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
High Street, South Oxfordshire, OX10 0DB
About 5 km away
Didcot Libary
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
197 Broadway, Didcot, OX11 8RU
About 7 km away
Wren - Blackbird Leys Library & Learning Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Cuddesdon Way, Oxford, OX4 6HT
About 9 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Dorchester
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here