Welcome to the Local History group's page!
We meet on the fourth Thursday of the month in The United Church from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Please enter from South Street. The nearest car park is Charles Street [don't forget there is a charge for the car park unless you have a shoppers permit].
If you are interested, please contact the Group Leader, Joy Wallis. Email: localhistory@dorchesteru3a.org.uk Telephone: 01305 269059 / 07496 634088 For our February meeting, we had an excellent visit to Dorchester Prison, led by Ed, a practising Prison Warder. After a thorough soaking looking at the exterior, we entered the grim Victorian jail. Here, we stumbled round, illuminated only by mobile phone torches, whilst being regaled by Ed's anecdotes and stories of the Prison's past. It was free to get in , but we had to pay Joy £13 to escape at the end! (Just joking!)
For our November meeting, Joy talked about Dorchester's Memorials and Monuments. Her presentation is available above as a .pdf file. Use the first 38 slides to test your knowledge of monuments and memorials visible outside buildings in Dorchester and see how many you got right on the second set of slides. It is amazing how many we have in such a small town. Collectively, they all wonderfully chart the people and events which have shaped our town over the centuries.
I have since been told that I have missed three! Can you name them? Local History Group 2024 Programme
All meetings will start at 10.30am in the United Church, South Street unless otherwise stated. £1 sub. January 25th Researching Local History Workshop February 22nd Visit to Dorchester Prison site March 28th Visit to The Keep Military Museum April 25th ‘My Dad’s Tommy Gun’ - a presentation on WWII by Simon House May 23rd John White - the Patriarch of Dorchester with David Cuckson June 27th Life at Bushes Farm: 1913 - 1918 with John Morris and Robin Mills July 25th Mary Channing: the last woman burnt at the stake in Dorchester with Mark Chutter August 22nd Visit to Moreton with Simon House September 26th Puritan Emigrants from the Manor of Fordington with Helen Ford October 24th ‘A Freezing Horror- the wreck of the Halsewell’ with Philip Browne November 28th Feedback from the Research groups |
There will be a mixture of 'classroom' sessions and outside visits covering sites and topics both in Dorchester and the surrounding area, and, for 2023, particularly focusing on Fordington and Charminster.
Location of The United Church
There is ample room in the United Church for any who wish to attend those meetings. Outside visits will be booked on a first come/first served basis nearer the time.
Web page maintained by Kelvin Huff. email: kh@dorchesteru3a.org.uk
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