Category: Local History

Old Stone Crosses | Then and Now

The tiny parish of Todber (population 140) doesn’t have too many claims to fame but it does have something unique in Dorset – the...

Dorset’s Dick Turpin | Looking Back

He was known as the ‘gentleman highwayman’ and is one of the Blackmore Vale’s most infamous sons. But it’s doubtful whether any of the bad...

The Ghost in Room 9 | Looking Back

Pub manager Jamie Clark didn’t believe in ghosts – until the day he moved into the historic King’s Arms Hotel at Blandford in January...

Sturminster Newton High School | Then and Now

It’s a sobering thought that the kids in these pictures of Sturminster Newton High School will be in their 70s now. The photos were taken...

It bain’t just in Darzit! | Looking Back

After kindly mentioning my previous column in the opening lines of his February contribution, Andy Palmer noted that when his family moved the 20...

Town Mills Gillingham | Then and Now

They are sadly long gone, but Gillingham’s old mill buildings once provided the town with a gloriously historic centrepiece. They were attractive enough to catch...

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Chateau Rimmer hits the road

From Chateau Rimmer to soggy Chard, it’s been quite a month for Jess Rimmer, with laughs, qualifiers and falling in love with a little...

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....