Weymouth and its inhabitants suffered greatly during the war; its proximity to the naval base at Portland and its well-protected bay left it at the receiving end of several bombing raids. The worst affected area in the borough was Chapelhay, residing on the southern side of the harbour. Photographs taken after the war show the extent… Read more Destruction and Creation
Amber, our newly appointed Archives Project Technician, recommences work digitising the fascinating Herbert Collection. She shares some specially selected snapshots of Dorset from times gone by. As one of Dorset History Centre’s newest additions to the team, I find myself with the fascinating privilege of delving through three decades of local Dorset history, as documented pictorially… Read more Delightfully retro festive photography
The Christmas Truce of 1914 has passed now almost into legend. Great armies engaged on the Western Front in the bloodiest of all wars called a ceasefire and instead came together in a spirit of peace to exchange gifts, play football and sing carols. Diaries held at Dorset History Centre provide a first-hand account of… Read more Christmas Truce recorded in WW1 diary
Many local people are aware that Weymouth was originally two towns; Melcombe Regis to the north of the harbour, and Weymouth to the south. The two communities had an often fractious relationship, usually related to the harbour. If ships moored on the Weymouth side, Weymouth could take the various charges and petty customs when the… Read more A Bridge Between People
Dorset History Centre has a large collection of local studies books, including many rare and unusual volumes. A particular favourite is a wonderful guide to Weymouth that was published around 1799. Royal Visits The guidebook lacks its title page so unfortunately we do not know the author’s name, but it is one of a number… Read more Regency Tourism and King George III in Weymouth
One January morning in 1599, the bodies of two women were discovered in a house in Poole. Newly catalogued records from the Poole Borough Archive shed light on a murder case which dragged on for over 40 years and led to the execution of one man and suspicion cast on a number of possible accomplices.… Read more Revisiting the ‘High Street Murders’ of 1599
The Herbert collection contains numerous photographs of Weymouth pavilion during the 1950s and 1960s, capturing the moments of its demise as ‘the Ritz’ in 1954 and its re-emergence in 1960. Early 20th Century The Pavilion theatre was originally constructed in Weymouth in 1908 at a cost of £14,000. It became a key venue in Weymouth… Read more A photographic history of Weymouth Pavilion
As a coastal town, Poole has always been vulnerable to attack by sea – from the Roman invasion, through the burning of the town by the Spanish in 1405, right up to the Second World War. ‘All my thoughts are directed towards England’ In the early months of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), the whole country… Read more The Napoleonic Invasion Threat
Dorset History Centre holds many historical and photographic records relating to the stonemason industry on Portland. It is an industry that has international reach and significance. With evidence of quarrying dating back to Roman times, stone-masonry has been a source of labour and wealth in the area for many centuries. Portland stone is an oolitic… Read more The Portland stone industry
Our intern has been working on digitising photographic negatives from the Herbert Collection, supported by Creative Dorset. She shares some highlights which allow us to peek through the keyhole into some of Weymouth’s popular hotels and businesses. The following are all pictures taken of interiors, mainly for businesses in the Weymouth area in 1963 and… Read more Through the keyhole: a historic view of Weymouth interiors
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