Wimborne Minster
To the north of the lively cosmopolitan resort of Bournemouth and the historic harbour town of Poole, lies Rural Dorset and Wimborne Minster, traditional rural England at its best with tranquil, picturesque countryside, sleepy villages and a wealth of fascinating attractions.
The historic market town of Wimborne Minster itself is beautifully situated in the picturesque water meadows of the River Stour, where it joins the clear, free flowing River Allen.
The town’s recorded history dates back to the 8th century and there are many historic buildings, narrow streets and delightful squares and courtyards to explore as well as numerous places of interest both in the town and nearby. Colourful boutiques, specialist shops and an extensive market also make Wimborne a mecca for shoppers.
Centrally located in the High Street, The Priest’s House Museum is set in an historic town house (Grade II* listed) where a series of period rooms takes the visitor back through the centuries. From the 17th Century Hall to the Georgian Parlour and working Victorian Kitchen, the rooms show what life and work was like for people in the past. This year the museum will be constructing a new Open Learning Centre to one side of the garden, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and due to be opened summer 2012.
The Museum tells the story of East Dorset from prehistoric to modern times. With hands-on activities in the Archaeology, Childhood and East Dorset Villages galleries, there is plenty to do and see!
Just over a quarter of a mile north of the town centre, where the main road crosses the River Allen, isWalford Mill Crafts, a converted 18th Century water mill, it has a crafts exhibition gallery and a shop with a range of contemporary craftwork, displaying work by over 180 local and national makers.
The twin towers of the magnificent Minster Church of St. Cuthburga, founded in AD 705, dominate the town. The oldest part of the Minster is the massive 12th century central tower, which was once crowned with a spire which fell during a Service in 1600, miraculously without loss of life or injury. The rest of the building dates from the 13th and 14th centuries.
The west tower is where you can see the famous Quarter Jack - Originally the figure was of a monk, but in Napoleonic times it was changed to depict a brightly uniformed grenadier, who still strikes the quarter hours on two bells.
There are two workshops on the site, a silk weaver and a jewellery designer maker. The top floor houses a craft school running courses in many craft skills. Across the courtyard is The Bistro and the Centre has an adjacent public car park.
The region is rich in history and many traces of ancient times still remain, from Bockerley Dyke in the north, built to block the path of invading Saxons, to the haunting atmosphere at Knowlton Rings, where pagans and Christians vied for supremacy.
Walkers to the area are spoilt for choice, follow the Stour or Avon Valley Ways along gently meandering rivers, ramble along country footpaths, stride across the open chalk downlands of Cranborne Chase or discover Dorset’s heathland nature reserves and majestic woodlands along the fringes of the New Forest.
The Priest’s House Museum 22 The Tourist Handbook Wessex 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40