Category: Local History

The Battle of Hambledon Hill

The fascinating history of compassion, bravery and pitched battle in Dorset during the Civil War is told by Rupert Hardy, chair of North Dorset...

The gardener with 10,000 pictures

At first glance Barry Cuff may simply be the expert veg-growing BV columnist. But eagle-eyed readers will also have spotted old pictures of Dorset...

Victorian steam meets Tudor timber | Then and Now

The old Tudor building on Cheap Street is far more than meets the eye of the casual shopper, says Roger Guttridge. It’s one of the...

The tale of the runaway rector | Looking Back

There’s nothing like a naughty vicar story to set tongues a-wagging, and the Rev W M Anderson certainly did that, says Roger Guttridge. The rector...

Mittens across the ocean

A unique heritage project is reviving historic connections between North Dorset and Newfoundland - and has already led to a couple of a remarkable...

Cinema came to rural communities

Dorset Council supported films in certain village halls, and these remained popular into the early 1980’s, says local guide Paul Birbeck. Imagine a world with...

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Polo’s back in the saddle

Sally Cooper looks beyond 1980s Jilly Cooper to polo’s fast-paced, bruising but surprisingly inclusive world, with rare gender equality The recent wave of publicity for...

Sydling St Nicholas in focus

The following photographs are a selection from a collection of 47 images preserved and shared by the Dorset History Centre. They offer a rare,...

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