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Category: Local History

Dorset’s first woman driver | Looking Back

She was Dorset’s first woman driver, and she documented her motoring adventures in a diary written almost 120 years ago. Roger Guttridge shares the...

A tale of two changes at the Old Rectory | Then and Now

Happily tucked away from the passing A357 traffic is this magnificent example of Georgian architecture – the Old Rectory in Holebrooke Lane, Lydlinch. The...

The intelligent poltergeist | Looking Back

On January 11, 1895, the Western Gazette published a story about strange goings-on in a Dorset village. The paper described ‘considerable excitement’ at Durweston...

The rich history that makes Yetminster a unique village

Tucked away on the western edge of ‘The Vale’ is a village with a very unusual history, indeed, possibly unique – Yetminster. Situated about five...

How an 1857 murder in India halted Dorset traffic last month

A young Dorset army officer, severely wounded during the 1857 Indian Mutiny, succeeded in leading women and children to safety despite being under constant...

The Milborne Martyrs | Looking back

This historic picture, dating from April 1874, provides a rare photographic glimpse of the agricultural turmoil and early trade unionism that played such a...

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The breeding season winds down

Doug and Lucy reflect on the enormous joy of an ‘I made that!’ moment - even as they teach foals to pick up their...

Why AI-Driven Entertainment Works Best in Short Sessions

The past 12 months in technology have been defined by AI. In 2025, it sat in an odd middle ground. No longer just a...

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