What Lies Beneath Max Gate? | Martin Papworth

28 July 2022, 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Online event, streamed from Max Gate with National Trust archaeologist Martin Papworth; Hardy’s Wessex curator Harriet Still and Wiltshire Museum director David Dawson

In 1884, the writer Thomas Hardy unwittingly built his house Max Gate (near Dorchester) in the centre of a late Neolithic enclosure, now known as Flagstones. During the foundation excavations, he revealed a sarsen stone and various Romano-British clasps and bowls, as well as human remains.

Now, 138 years later, Martin Papworth returns to the same site to see what else this fascinating and ancient site can reveal to us.

Brought to you by Wessex Museums in partnership with National Trust and Home of Hillforts and Henges.

Important Announcement

Friday 22 September 2023, The Victorian Hall will also be closed all day for a private function. The Fine Foundation Dorset Story Space, next the the Thomas Hardy's Dorset Gallery will also be closed for an hour around Midday.

  • Opening hours:

    Daily: 9.00am - 4.30pm
    Sunday: 10.00am - 4.00pm
    Bank Holidays: 10.00am - 4.00pm

  • Dorset Museum

    High West Street
    Dorchester DT1 1XA

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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 16 – 31 July 2022.

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Community Exhibition

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.

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Special Exhibition

21 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.

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Special Display

4 August – 28 September 2023

The Askerswell Hoard

Discover a rare Roman coin hoard recently acquired by Dorset Museum, and find out about the work going on to preserve, research and catalogue it, in this special showcase display outside the Collections Discovery Centre.

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CANCELLED

6 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.

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Adult Workshop

9 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.

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Talk

10 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.

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Museum after hours

19 October 2023, 5:00pm - 6:30pm

FREE | Museum After Hours

Join us for an opportunity to explore the Museum at this FREE late opening.

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Lecture

19 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.

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Tours

25 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.

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