Festival of Archaeology
HengeFest 2023
30 July 2023
Celebrating Dorchester’s Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age Landscape
Following on from last year’s successful event, HOME OF HILLFORTS & HENGES is back in 2023 from 29th to 30th July.
Celebrating a landscape rich in earthworks and the people that have lived here for over 6,000 years, activities will take place at multiple locations across the town.
There will be lectures, guided walks and other activities. The event concludes with an epic day of discovery and fun at Maumbury Rings with HENGEFEST on Sunday, 30th July.
The open countryside around Dorchester contains many ancient scheduled monuments and falls within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As well as demonstrating pride in our ancient heritage, Home of Hillforts & Henges aims to promote well-being and good mental health through appreciation and enjoyment of nature and the local habitat.
The schedule is just being put together – SAVE THE DATES and keep checking back for the full programme.
The event is part of the national CBA Festival of Archaeology 2023
Maumbury Rings, Dorchester DT1 1QN
Home of Hillforts & Henges is an exciting new event from 21st to 31st July that will celebrate Dorchester’s neolithic and iron age landscape, rich in earthworks and the people that have lived here for over 6,000 years.
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Co-ordinated by the Council for British Archaeology, the Festival offers hundreds of events nationwide, organised by museums, heritage organisations, national and country parks, universities, local societies, and community archaeologists.
The Festival of Archaeology will take place between 15 July 2021 – 30 July 2023.
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What's On
21 July - 29 October 2023
Nature Heals | Photography by Trevor Parsons
Dorset Museum and Dorchester Arts co-present Nature Heals, an exhibition of nature photography by Trevor Parsons.
Find out more21 July - 29 October 2023
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world-famous exhibition from the Natural History Museum, is coming to Dorset Museum this summer.
Find out more6 October 2023, 10:00am -1:00pm,
Creative Journeys Through Time | 6 week art workshop with Helen Garrett
Designed for adults interested in art, prehistory and archaeology, and running as a six-week block, this course is an exciting opportunity to get up close with some extraordinary artefacts in the collection at Dorset Museum.
Find out more9 October 2023, 2:00pm to 4:30pm
Life Drawing at Dorset Museum – Eight-week course led by James Meiklejohn
This eight-week structured course is suitable for complete beginners to those with some experience.
Find out more10 October 2023, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Wildlife friendly gardening | Mitch Perkins
Would you like to make your garden more wildlife friendly? Join Mitch Perkins to find out how.
Find out more19 October 2023, 5:00pm - 6:30pm
FREE | Museum After Hours
Join us for an opportunity to explore the Museum at this FREE late opening.
Find out more19 October 2023, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Real Dorset | Jon Woolcott
In this lecture, let Jon Woolcott take you on an amusing whistle-stop tour through some of the discoveries and oddities that make Dorset unique.
Find out more25 October 2023, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Collections Discovery Centre Tour
Join our Collections Team for an opportunity to explore behind the scenes in the Museum’s Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more27 October 2023 5:00pm-9:00pm
Museums After Dark 2023
Discover three incredible Dorchester museums on one unforgettable night.
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