Category: Local History

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...

A tale of two pubs – and an intoxicated postmaster! | Looking Back

If you think our modern TV soaps are racy, you should have lived in north Dorset in the 19th century, says Roger Guttridge. An editing...

The Old School Tie | Then and Now

The Old School house in Sturminster Newton reflects fascinating local history, some of it personal, says Roger Guttridge. It’s a private house today, appropriately named...

What does it mean if you have one of these ‘marks’ on your house?

Walking around local towns you may see strange plaques high up on the external walls of larger historic buildings. Local expert Paul Birbeck explains...

The Dorset canal that wasn’t | Looking Back

During Britain’s Industrial Revolution, 4,000 miles of canal were developed in an astonishingly short time – but in the end, Dorset didn’t get any!...

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Calmer days on the stud

Holidays for racehorses, the quiet season at the stud … but Lucy Procter is juggling the complexities of artificial insemination delivery Summer holidays are here...