A newsletter for Dorset History Centre, the Historic Environment Record, Portable Antiquities Scheme, and Dorset Archives Trust: working together to support the preservation of Dorset's history.
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Here Comes the Summer!
** Welcome to June's newsletter!
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As we roll into the summer, with the warmer days, longer nights, and busier county roads indicating that the summer holidays are just around the corner for many, at Dorset History Centre we continue to work hard on a multitude of projects and events. As ever, there's been lots happening, and lots of things coming up to inform readers about...
** Building work at Dorset History Centre
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Photograph of the outside of Dorset History Centre
A reminder for all customers and visitors to Dorset History Centre that we are in the middle of extensive building works which means that until September 2024 there will be no public access to the car park at the centre. We would encourage visitors to exercise caution when moving around the outside of the building, and we apologise for any inconvenience these works might cause.
If you want to visit Dorset History Centre during these 4 months, there are local car parks at Top o'Town and Fairfield Road, which are a short distance away.
Please get in touch if you have any queries about visiting before September 2024.
Please get in touch with us if you have any queries
** Dorset Archives Trust Summer Gala
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Poster for the DAT Summer Gala 2024
Dorset Archives Trust invite you to their Summer Gala event at Farrs, Beaminster home of renowned furniture maker John Makepeace on Thursday 11 July from 5pm.
Book your tickets for this fascinating evening here!
** Volunteer Week 2024
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Photograph of volunteers at Maiden Newton
We were delighted to celebrate Volunteer Week this week with our own trusty team, as we explored the architectural and archaeological heritage of Maiden Newton. On Monday 3 June volunteers with Dorset History Centre and the Historic Environment Record/Portable Antiquities Scheme enjoyed a tour around Maiden Newton led by Senior Archaeologist Claire Pinder.
The group enjoyed learning about the history of the area, as well as some well-earned tea and biscuits at the end of the tour!
From everyone at Dorset History Centre, a massive thank-you to all who volunteer with us!
** Dorchester D-Day: Immersive Theatre Trail
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Poster advertising the Dorchester D-Day event
Dorchester played a big part in the preparations for D-Day. The population of Dorchester and the surrounding villages swelled with the influx of American GI’s in the run up to the event.
On Saturday 8 June 2024, you can walk around Dorchester town centre to seven unique locations to take in seven different short performances. Each performance showcases a different event or experience, based on real memories and historic accounts of Dorchester.
Don't miss this unique, free experience as local actors and scriptwriters revive incredible stories collected of life in Dorchester in the run-up to D-Day. Travel back in time and experience Dorchester when American GI soldiers were stationed in and around the town and when anticipation and gossip was building about the big secret operation.
Learn more about the shows and the events happening in Dorchester
** Join the Historic Environment Record team this June
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Banner for the HER/PAS team
New events have been added to the Dorset Archaeological Days 2024 programme
and tickets are going fast for our next event, a guided walk around Wareham’s historic town walls led by Ben Buxton of Wareham Museum on Saturday 8 June.
Explore the famous defences of this important Saxon town and other aspects of the town’s history. Sensible clothing and footwear are recommended. The walk includes some short but steep slopes, please wear study footwear.
Learn more and book your tickets here
** Kushti Bok's Roma History Day
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Poster for the Kushti Bok Roma History Day event
Dorset History Centre are proud to support Kushti Bok and staff from DHC will be attending Roma History Day at Dorchester's Borough Gardens on Saturday 15 June, for an afternoon celebrating the history of the Gypsy Roma Traveller community.
It is free to attend and there is plenty of fun to be had for the whole family!
** Do you know where this picture is?
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Photograph of a road at Milton Abbas
In last months newsletter we showed you this photograph and challenged you to identify where it was taken.
This clearly stumped readers, as, for the first time we received no correct guesses as to the whereabouts of this scene.
We can reveal that the photograph was taken at Milton Abbas, looking north up Blandford Road from the junction with Catherine's Well road. It is catalogued at Dorset History Centre with the reference D-DPA/1/MIL/22
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Photograph of a street in a town
This month, we hopefully have something that readers find easier to identify! If you think you know where the above photograph was taken, then send us your best guess, and we will reveal the answer next month.
As always, it's worth nothing that all images are from within Dorset.
Where was this picture taken?
** Social Media updates
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Banner image of DHC activities
It has been a busy month for us on our social media channels. On X/ Twitter we shared:
* A wonderfully illustrated scrapbook about World War 2
* A gem of a letter from a young Master Colfox, who was promised a sister might grow out of a parsley bed...
* A celebration of Oak Apple Day!
* And the opening of a Pride exhibition at Lighthouse Poole
On our blog we published interesting pieces about:
* The Weymouth seafront fire of 1954
* Albumen prints of Bournemouth and beyond
* Our new Digital Archivist
* And the start of the Thomas Hardy Cataloguing project
Follow us on X/ Twitter!
** And Finally...
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GIF to celebrate 400,000 records catalogued
We are thrilled to announce that we have recently catalogued our 400,000th record!
The record in question is D-SHA/S/11/A/99
, an account of Wynniffe's gift, 1736, from the Sherborne Almshouse collection.
We are now working our way towards the next milestone: half-a-million catalogued records held at Dorset History Centre...
Explore the catalogue for yourself here
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