Find events in Dorset, from village fêtes and jumble sales to the county’s biggest shows, alongside theatre, live music, exhibitions, markets, talks, walks and family days out. The Dorset Life What’s On calendar brings together things to do across the county, with dates, locations and details to help you plan.
Hosting an event in Dorset? Add it to the calendar for free and share it with Dorset Life readers.
Please note: inclusion in the online calendar does not guarantee inclusion in the magazine, though a selection of events is featured each month.
- This event has passed.
Ela Fitzpayne and John Forde- A Medieval Scandal from Okeford to London
27 March @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
In the spring of 1325, John Forde became rector of this parish and a trusted administrator on the Fitzpaine estate. Seven years later, the Archbishop of Canterbury publicly accused Lady Ela Fitzpaine of adultery with John Forde. When she refused to perform the public penance imposed on her — including a barefoot walk through Salisbury Cathedral — he declared her excommunicated. Five years after that, John Forde was ambushed and killed in the streets of London. A coroner’s jury recorded that Ela Fitzpaine had persuaded five men — including her brother Hugh Lovel — to carry out the attack.
How did events in this quiet Dorset village lead to a violent death in the heart of medieval England? Come and hear the remarkable true story that began at St Andrew’s.
Professor Manuel Eisner is a criminologist from the University of Cambridge. His research into Ela Fitzpayne was one of several medieval murder mysteries published in 2025 on an interactive map.
Tickets are now on sale for the forthcoming talk: ELA FITZPAYNE AND JOHN FORDE- A MEDIEVAL SCANDAL FROM OKEFORD TO LONDON by Professor Manuel Eisner on Friday 27 March.
Tickets include a drink on arrival and are on sale in Okeford Fitzpaine village shop or on Ticketsource . All proceeds are for the restoration of St Andrew’s Church.
Don’t forget to sign up to receive the monthly Dorset Life here .
