Shaftesbury and District's local history museum with an award-winning cottage garden and wonderful views over Thomas Hardy's Blackmore Vale. At the top of picturesque Gold Hill, well known for the Hovis "Boy on a Bike" advert, this modern museum is set in two historic buildings. One was once the priest's house and still has a "squint" through the wall to St Peter's church; the other provided basic lodgings for traders at the market on Gold Hill.
Eight galleries tell the story of rural and town life, starting even before Shaftesbury's notional foundation by Alfred the Great. Highlights of the collection include the unique Byzant, carried during annual celebrations of the securing of the water supply, so vital to a hilltop town; Dorset's oldest fire engine, dating from 1744; fine lacework and costumes; handmade Dorset buttons; and a mummified Dorset cat.
Eight galleries tell the story of rural and town life, starting even before Shaftesbury's notional foundation by Alfred the Great. Highlights of the collection include the unique Byzant, carried during annual celebrations of the securing of the water supply, so vital to a hilltop town; Dorset's oldest fire engine, dating from 1744; fine lacework and costumes; handmade Dorset buttons; and a mummified Dorset cat.
Services
Collection
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Local life and history are portrayed through artefacts, costume, photos, ceramics, tools, musical instruments, domestic items and the town's first fire engine - a hand-drawn machine. The Byzant is a reminder of an ancient and long-standing annual ceremony to honour the Lord of the Manor of Motcombe for allowing the hilltop town of Shaftesbury to use water from its springs in the village below.
Library
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Our local history library houses a large collection of books on a wide variety of subjects mainly covering Dorset and Wiltshire but also books of a more general historical nature. In particular the library has a selection of books relating to the history of Shaftesbury and surrounding villages. To back this up there is much material of archival nature, school records, magazines and photographs.
Volunteer
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Allows visitors of all ages to discover what made Shaftesbury and the surrounding villages what they are today. Teaches local school children how to observe and value their history in ways that mean something to them. Enables adults to develop new skills and feel more a part of the town and its surrounding area.
Membership
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The Shaftesbury & District Historical Society own and manage this gem of a museum at the top of Gold Hill, Shaftesbury. Become a member where your annual subscription [15 for one individual; 25 for several family members residing at the same address; 3 for a student] will help support Gold Hill Museum.
Great War Project
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Our volunteers worked with as many local sources of information as possible to discover how war affected daily life, individuals and communities in the Shaftesbury area. One of the team, Christopher W. Stupples, investigated the lives of the men and women commemorated on 25 war memorials in Shaftesbury and surrounding villages in Dorset and Wiltshire.
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