In the summer we were joined by Debbie, as our new Past Lives Future Proofed Community Engagement Officer. We’ve given her a couple of months to get to grips with the role and learn about how DHC works, and now we wanted to introduce her to readers, and explain a little more about what she… Read more Introducing Debbie
Dorset is unsurprisingly rich in maritime heritage given its multiple bays, harbours and coastline that stretches for close to 100 miles. However, that heritage is comprised of a mixed bag of fortunes and we have a newly catalogued box of images of shipwrecks that have occurred along our coast (D-DPA/2/WY/2/9). These are heavily concentrated around… Read more The Avalanche and the Forest
In July we welcomed two students to Dorset History Centre for a month to learn about what goes on behind-the-scenes at an archive. As part of this placement, the students have written blogs about their time with us, and what they have got out of the placement. Last week we introduced you to Lara, who… Read more Work Experience 2026: Cat
In July we welcomed two students to Dorset History Centre for a month to learn about what goes on behind-the-scenes at an archive. As part of this placement, the students have written blogs about their time with us, and what they have got out of the placement. We will bring you Cat’s thoughts next week,… Read more Work Experience 2026: Lara
Crispin Redshaw managed the Marconi Beam Radio Station that used to be situated along the Bridport/Dorchester Road, and boasted 25 transmitters, with the first service having been to New York. If you came along to From the Stacks (our free, monthly, public talk) last month, you would have heard Archivist Emma talking a little more… Read more The Photo Albums of Crispin Redshaw
This is the second blog in a short series about our research into a copy of a book by William Lilly from 1666 that had been used as a notebook and doctors accounts book. In our first blog we explored the book’s connection with the Chaplyn family and how we established that the doctor who… Read more Nathaniel Bartlett: A Doctor of Wareham
Now you might already know that Cromwell banned Christmas festivities, but did you know that he also changed the way marriages were registered? Less exciting, we know, but bear with us, because if you’ve been diligently putting together your family tree, and you’ve been able to get back to the mid-17th century, the ‘Act touching… Read more Oliver Cromwell and the Parish Registers
The archive collection of Major Bell, a water bailiff working for the Avon and Dorset River Board was purchased last year with the help of Dorset Archives Trust. The archive is a small collection of diaries, correspondence, and photographs of Major C J Bell, covering the period between the late 1940s to early 1960s. The… Read more The Archive Collection of Major Bell: Records from a local water bailiff
Hello again readers. This is the second of our blogs about the history of the Dorset regiments, with special emphasis on how uniforms changed over the years. If you missed it, the first part, covering the 18th Century is here. This time we are going to concentrate on the nineteenth century. At the end of… Read more The Dorset Regiment: An Abridged Retelling of Regimental and Uniform History (Part 2: The 19th Century)
Back in April we shared an overview of the Wessex Water project, led by our archivist Emma Blowers with support from Collections Assistant Chris Scriven. This time, we’re taking you deeper into the conservation side of the project and catching up with our Conservator as she begins treating some of the most fragile items in… Read more Conservation in Action: Behind the Scenes of the Wessex Water Project
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