Category: Local History

Blandford Railway | Then and Now

This was the moment when Blandford’s railway history reached the point of no return. The arches at the eastern end of East Street had survived...

Smugglers! | Looking back

Roger Guttridge recalls North Dorset’s most notorious smuggling gang As many readers will know, I only need half an excuse to talk about my smuggling...

Fire St James’s Street, Shaftesbury | Then and Now

Roger Guttridge recalls a fire that ripped through terraced cottages at Shaftesbury What a difference 63 years makes! The above picture shows some of the devastation...

The Reddlewoman | Looking Back

Roger Guttridge recalls a colourful character from old Dorset Thomas Hardy fans will remember a character in The Return of the Native called Diggory Venn,...

The Original Blackmore Vale Magazine’s early years | Looking back

As one door closes and another opens, Roger Guttridge looks back on the Blackmore Vale Magazine’s early years Sipping a pint in his local one...

Sturminster Newton’s Market Cross | Then and Now

It’s been home to a pump, a horse trough, market stalls and parked cars, but now the roadside spot at Sturminster Newton’s Market Cross...

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A therapeutic partnership

An equine therapy centre in Blandford is creating transformative connections for those most in need of healing – Sally Cooper reports It’s a return trip...

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....