Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
About This Museum
People come to the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery for all sorts of reasons, and it never fails to deliver a surprise. You might be drawn in by the legend of Thomas Hardy, only to find yourself utterly captivated by the sheer weight of history held in a 2,000-year-old Iron Age sword from Maiden Castle. It’s a place where you can trace a line from the deep-time drama of local fossils right up to the personal writing desk of one of England's greatest authors. The whole experience feels like having a wonderfully rich conversation with Dorset itself, leaving you with a profound sense of this land's layered stories.
Collection Highlights
The star-studded collection includes formidable Iron Age artifacts excavated from the Maiden Castle hillfort, an astonishing array of local Jurassic Coast fossils, and an incredibly intimate collection of Thomas Hardy's personal effects, including his own watch and writing desk.
Visitor Information
You'll find it right in the heart of Dorchester on High West Street—it's that beautiful, imposing stone building you can't miss. It's the perfect refuge for an afternoon when the British weather turns.
Architecture & Building
Housed in a handsome Victorian Gothic building made of local stone, its recent transformation added a stunning, light-filled modern extension that contrasts beautifully with the historic fabric.
Contact & Location
Address: High West Street, Fordington, Dorchester, Dorset, England, DT1 1UX, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1305 262735
Website: Visit Website
