From a Cold War nuclear bunker and Victorian police cells to a house built around the salvaged interior of an ocean liner, some of Dorset’s less accessible corners are opening their doors this September.
Dorset Architectural Heritage Week runs from 11th to 20th September, with 69 free events across the county. Some offer access to buildings normally closed to visitors, while others include guided walks, talks and behind-the-scenes tours.
Among this year’s more unusual opportunities is a tour of the former Sturminster Newton Police Station, including its surviving Victorian holding cells; a chance to explore the Second World War bombing decoy bunker at Moors Valley, whose operators deliberately tried to draw enemy aircraft away from nearby airfields; and tours of Lodge Farm near Kingston Lacy, a late 14th-century hall house on a site with 7,000 years of history.
Elsewhere there are visits to Portland Port, both Wimborne Minster’s bell tower and the Chained Library, the Cold War nuclear bunker at Nothe Fort and The Boathouse in Poole, a 1938 house incorporating rooms and fittings salvaged from RMS Mauretania. There’s even a Weymouth walk devoted entirely to chimney pots.
All events are free, although many of the tours and visits have limited places and must be booked in advance. The full 40-page programme, including details of which events require tickets, is available from East Dorset Heritage Trust at edht.org.uk/dahw.
The Dorset Life Community News section is sponsored by Wessex Internet
