Sherborne Museum |
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Sherborne Museum, with over 15,000 items of local history, is in the heart of the town, close to five of the most ancient buildings in its history: the Abbey, Sherborne School, the Almshouse, the Conduit and the Old Church House.
Apart from a few purchases, the items have all been donated by local residents, and the displays are enhanced by models, illustrations and back-drops by local artists.
This year the main theme for the rotating exhibitions is Changing Times 1911 - inspired by the arrival of the first aeroplane at Sherborne Castle in August 1911
The following notes highlight a few of the items from different periods which are on display at Sherborne Museum:
In 1136 Bishop Roger completed a fortified palace a little to the East of the Abbey. Only the ruins now stand, but models and drawings show the impressive scale of the Old Castle which survived for 500 years until destroyed by Oliver Cromwell..
A wall painting of 1480, taken from a medieval house nearby, was discovered only in 1962 under layers of paper and whitewash. It illustrates a legend, explained in a panel, concerning a cleric who conjured a (disarmingly perky) devil into a boot.
In 1592 Sir Walter Raleigh acquired the Castle and Manor of Sherborne and intended to spend his retirement years there. He built a fine new house a short distance away, retaining the Castle for ceremonial use. His house forms the heart of what is now known as the New Castle. Sir Walter and his wife enjoyed their new home for less than nine years before his execution under James I.
In 1617 the estate with the two castles was purchased by Sir John Digby and has now remained in the Digby family for nearly four centuries. Plans, drawings and other items in the Museum illustrate Sir Walter Raleigh's original building and the several enlargements made by the Digby family.
Nineteenth-century Sherborne is brought to life by a very wide range of items. Of particular interest is the Gerald Pitman collection of photographs; paintings and drawings of Sherborne; and the David Hunt photographic collection of 5000 prints and 9000 plastic negatives and glass plates recording events and people in the town since 1880.
The Costume Collection, of which a selection is on display, contains a number of items with links to local people.
The fully furnished Sherborne Dolls House is on permanent display for the delight of children of all ages.
We have expanded our education programme and have close links with local schools. Loan boxes are now available on a number of topics and outreach visits can be arranged. Thanks to the latest technology the Sherborne Missal can be viewed as a digital 'Turning the Pages'
The staff and the curator of the Museum are always happy to answer visitor's enquiries and to give access, by arrangement in advance, for serious students to material which may not be on general display.
Sherborne Museum is an Accredited Museum. We have been granted our accreditation with no areas recommended for further improvement - quite an achievement for a small volunteer museum. It means we meet National standards of care in all areas!
One to one visits can now be arranged by appointment for visitors with a wide range of disability problems or those who cannot tolerate crowded atmospheres.
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Opening Times
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(2011 times)
29th March - 20th December: |
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Admission Charges
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(2011 prices)
Adult £1.00; Child/Student/member Free. |
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Directions
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| Show map of Sherborne Museum... |
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Sherborne Museum Postcode for SatNav: DT9 3BP |
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Nearby Attractions
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Sherborne Old Castle
(1 Mile)*
Built by Bishop Roger of Salisbury in the 12th century as a strongly defended palace, Sherborne Old Castle became a powerful Royalist base during the Civil War. |
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Sherborne Castle
(1 Mile)*
The present Sherborne Castle was built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 and has been the Stately Home of the Digby family since 1617. |
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Minterne Gardens
(7 Miles)*
The Minterne Valley, landscaped in the manner of Capability Brown in the 18th century, has been the home of the Churchill and Digby families for over 350 years. |
| more attractions in Sherborne and things to do in Sherborne ... |
| more things to do in Dorset and days out in Dorset... |
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Nearby Hotels
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Nearby Self Catering
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