Category: Local History

Gillingham’s survivor pubs | Then and Now

At least externally, two of Gillingham’s pubs have barely changed in the 120 years between these two pictures, says Roger Guttridge. Confusion reigns over the...

The birth of a modern Fire Service

Our modern Fire Brigade was formed in 1939 with an aim to end a random and inefficient service. Historian Paul Birbeck explains. While leading a...

Living on the edge: Durweston bridge takes another hit | Then and Now

Traffic mayhem at Durweston bridge is nothing new, says Roger Guttridge, as he tells the story of a spectacular near-disaster 90 years ago. Durweston’s long-suffering...

Violet’s wars: the story of a Dorset heroine | Looking Back

The outstanding story of a humble Dorset woman who nursed soldiers in two world wars, and outwitted the Nazis, is told by Roger Guttridge. Few,...

Rats, fleas and Black Death (the shaping of north Dorset)

Why are so many north Dorset parish churches outside their villages? The answer is the Black Death, argues Paul Birbeck Across the Vale, there are...

The Georgian phoenix that rose from the ashes of disaster | Then and Now

When fire ripped through Blandford on June 4, 1731, it was a catastrophe for the town and a personal disaster for most of its...

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‘We marvelled at her natural maternal instinct’

A complicated foaling left the newborn orphaned, but with medicines and good husbandry we found a foster mare, says Lucy Procter. January is a significant...

How Dorset Became One of England’s Finest Food Counties

There are counties in England with a food reputation that precedes them: Yorkshire for its puddings, Cornwall for its pasties, Kent for its orchards....