Blandford Town Museum

Blandford Town Museum tells the story of Blandford Forum and its surrounding villages through displays, exhibitions and local artefacts. We hold archives for people researching their family or local history, including militaria and railways. The Museum is entirely run by volunteers, and is free to enter.

On the ground floor of the Museum, objects and artefacts from Blandford and the surrounding area trace a timeline from the 20^th century back to prehistoric times. The exhibits include a 19th century dolls’ house, several longcase (“Grandfather”) clocks, reconstructions of a local forge and a cobbler’s workshop, a diorama depicting the fire that destroyed most of the town in 1731, mediaeval tiles and pottery, Roman remains, palaeolithic archaeology of the area, and even the skeleton of a Bronze age dog.

The first floor of the museum features themed exhibits from the local area: antique musical instruments, yesterday’s technology, a Victorian kitchen scullery, militaria from the English civil war to WW2, Wartime Blandford, and Nepal and the Gurkhas. We also have a working model railway, recalling Blandford station which closed to passenger trains in 1966; this was featured in the February 2011 edition of Railway Modeller magazine.

The Museum’s authentic Victorian garden provides a safe and peaceful space for visitors to enjoy away from the bustle of the town, and a beautiful setting for outdoor social events. It is tended by our Victorian Garden Group, whose plants and jams are available to buy in the shop.

The Museum regularly hosts lectures, social events and exhibitions and has a variety of special interest groups and projects. These include the Archaeology Group, who hold regular lectures and occasional field explorations;  the Civic Group, whose focus is local architectural issues; and the Environmental Group, who are concerned with local, national and global environmental issues.

We provide learning and research opportunities for people of all ages, and work with schools and young people to develop their interest in local history. Our aim is to be a true community museum, with something for everyone.