Gold Hill Museum
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Gold Hill Museum
Shaftesbury and District's local history museum with an award-winning cottage garden and wonderful views over Thomas Hardy's Blackmore Vale. At the top of picturesque Gold Hill, well known for the Hovis "Boy on a Bike" advert, this modern museum is set in two historic buildings. One was once the priest's house and still has a "squint" through the wall to St Peter's church; the other provided basic lodgings for traders at the market on Gold Hill.

Eight galleries tell the story of rural and town life, starting even before Shaftesbury's notional foundation by Alfred the Great. Highlights of the collection include the unique Byzant, carried during annual celebrations of the securing of the water supply, so vital to a hilltop town; Dorset's oldest fire engine, dating from 1744; fine lacework and costumes; handmade Dorset buttons; and a mummified Dorset cat.
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Local life and history are portrayed through artefacts, costume, photos, ceramics, tools, musical instruments, domestic items and the town's first fire engine - a hand-drawn machine. The Byzant is a reminder of an ancient and long-standing annual ceremony to honour the Lord of the Manor of Motcombe for allowing the hilltop town of Shaftesbury to use water from its springs in the village below.
Our local history library houses a large collection of books on a wide variety of subjects mainly covering Dorset and Wiltshire but also books of a more general historical nature. In particular the library has a selection of books relating to the history of Shaftesbury and surrounding villages. To back this up there is much material of archival nature, school records, magazines and photographs.
Allows visitors of all ages to discover what made Shaftesbury and the surrounding villages what they are today. Teaches local school children how to observe and value their history in ways that mean something to them. Enables adults to develop new skills and feel more a part of the town and its surrounding area.
The Shaftesbury & District Historical Society own and manage this gem of a museum at the top of Gold Hill, Shaftesbury. Become a member where your annual subscription [15 for one individual; 25 for several family members residing at the same address; 3 for a student] will help support Gold Hill Museum.
Our volunteers worked with as many local sources of information as possible to discover how war affected daily life, individuals and communities in the Shaftesbury area. One of the team, Christopher W. Stupples, investigated the lives of the men and women commemorated on 25 war memorials in Shaftesbury and surrounding villages in Dorset and Wiltshire.
Reviews (11)
Angela Levitt
Angela Levitt
Dec 30, 2021
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Gold Hill, Shaftesbury. We visited here on the way back from a week in Dorset. It is simply Stunning! So picturesque and pretty. There was also a Christmas Market with plenty of stalls and shops to browse around. A truly beautiful place and well worth a visit.
Adrian Rowsell
Adrian Rowsell
Nov 14, 2021
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Excellent little museum, especially as entry is free. A great deal of info about Shaftsbury and with one room dedicated to the Hovis add campaign it was well worth a visit.
Lynn Kerswell
Lynn Kerswell
Oct 29, 2021
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Excellent museum for all ages
Lots to see about history of Shaftesbury
Free to go in but card or cash donation appreciated.
Ray Turner Tgr Worzel
Ray Turner Tgr Worzel
Sep 09, 2021
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A worthwhile museum at the top of Gold Hill and not too difficult to access from the main shopping area, if you are on foot, as it is behind the Town Hall. The Museum itself was able to cope with a compact mobility scooter, it even has a lift to the first floor, but getting there with a scooter was tricky. If you have got some help it's possible and the local business owners were all very forthcoming with offers of help. Thank you
Charles Hazlehurst
Charles Hazlehurst
Aug 14, 2021
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Excellent only there for an hour but it's a nice little museum and the ladies who volunteer are oh so full of history and give it freely in a happy and friendly way
Kevin Chapple
Kevin Chapple
Nov 28, 2019
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Interesting visit. Staff very helpful but not overbearing. Nice bit of local history.
The Boltons
The Boltons
Jul 13, 2019
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As we approached the top of Gold Hill, we saw this museum and popped in. We were very short of time as ticket on car park was almost up! We were so impressed with range of exhibits and how much was packed into a small space. Interactive displays for children too. Wish we could have stayed longer here, it was lovely, staff friendly and it was free. Well worth a visit.
Tony Pugh
Tony Pugh
Jun 08, 2019
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Nice little museum, lots to see squeezed into a Small building.free entry and there's a lift and a look.
Very friendly staff. Well worth a visit if you're in the town seeing the sites
Debbie Benjafield
Debbie Benjafield
Aug 30, 2017
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What a great museum. It looks small but it is bigger than it looks. Really interesting and friendly staff .
Viv Rain
Viv Rain
Aug 06, 2017
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Absolutely Fabulous place. If you do nothing else in Shaftsbury go here it's a fascinating place. There is something for everyone. The staff showed (yes showed) me how to make a Dorset button. Lovely friendly people.
Lf Buckland
Lf Buckland
Sep 26, 2015
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This little museum is staffed and run by Volunteers. It has so much of interest, from earliest archeology.. through the ages - all local history is represented, agricultural, manufacturing, and the skills of Dorset Button makers. There is a special display for the Byzant ceremony. with accompanying video; and there are regular 'specials' which, this year have been the WI centenary and a fascinating exhibition showing how through the centuries, the means of measuring have changed. Well worth an extended visit!