The Museum

Dorchester Museum is in two buildings on the Abbey site.

The Old Schoolroom is part of Dorchester Abbey’s 14th-century former Guest House and displays illustrations, maps and artefacts reflecting the history of Dorchester and its locality which have been continuously inhabited for over 6000 years.

It also houses an archive of Dorchester’s history, available for inspection and research by arrangement, and a souvenir and gift shop.

The Cloister Gallery is housed in a pentice built against the north wall of the Abbey in 2001.

The gallery displays a permanent exhibition ‘If Stones Could Speak ……’ which tells the story of the Abbey through its collection of worked medieval stone.

 

The museum also boasts the award-winning Cloister Gallery display, described as the best of its kind in the country.

This tells the story of the Abbey building through a collection of carved and moulded medieval stonework supported by a vivid, written commentary.

See our downloadable leaflet

Opening times 2018

The Abbey Museum will be welcoming visitors for the 2018 season from Easter Saturday until the end of September. Please note that the Opening Times have changed and are as follows:

• Monday and Tuesday CLOSED
• Wednesday and Thursday OPEN 2 -5pm
• Friday CLOSED
• Saturday and Sunday OPEN 2pm – 5pm
• BANK HOLIDAY MONDAYS OPEN 2pm – 5pm
  (Group visits will be by appointment only)

The Museum volunteers look forward look forward to seeing you during the season. If you would like to become a volunteer do come into the Museum when it is open and find out more about what we do.