Wessex Museums

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Wessex Museums Wessex Museums is a partnership of museums across Dorset & Wiltshire. Aiming to connect and inspire.

The Wessex Museums Partnership is a thriving partnership of seven leading museums across the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire. Dorset: Dorset Museum, Poole Museum,

Wiltshire: Lydiard House Museum, STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway, Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire Museum. Our ambition is to inspire more people to explore and enjoy the outstanding art and heritage of the region and to understand its significance to their lives. We will share the amazing story of the region in new and exciting ways and make a contribution to the cultural, social and tourism economies of the region.

07/07/2026
26/06/2026
09/03/2026

🎶 Join us for an evening of folk music and traditional storytelling
🗓 Thursday, 26 March 2026 | ⏰ 6:30pm

Folk music from Maerefolk and Charles Allison, with storytelling by Paul Butler.
In association with Salisbury Folk Club.

Maerefolk: a four-piece Salisbury band blending vocal harmonies with guitar, fiddle, and bass — playing a range of traditional and modern folk songs.
Paul Butler: two decades of traditional storytelling.
Charles Allison: musician and songwriter.

Before the show, explore The Salisbury Museum exhibition “Un/Common People – Folk Culture in Wessex” from 6:30pm. Tickets include wine or a non-alcoholic drink during the interval.

🎟 Tickets: Members £12 | Non-members £15
🔗 Book and details: The Salisbury Museum website

09/03/2026
09/03/2026

Our 2026 tours programme is here, and we're inviting you to explore Dorset’s history and heritage in brand new ways 👇

🔍 Go behind the scenes with our Collections Team – explore our state-of-the-art Collections Discovery Centre on a Store Tour and get an exclusive look at objects not on public display.

👣 Walk through Roman Dorchester – join our guided walking tour to discover the remnants of Durnovaria, the Roman predecessor of Dorchester.

🏛️ Visit the Roman Town House – get exclusive access inside this ancient structure to see the original mosaics in situ, followed by a visit to our People’s Dorset Gallery to see the precious artefacts recovered from the site.

📖 BRAND NEW FOR 2026: Step into Thomas Hardy's world – follow in the footsteps of Thomas Hardy as our trained guides take you on a walk through the town that inspired some of his greatest works. Visit the real places behind his fiction, and finish with a reflective visit to our Hardy's Dorset Gallery.

Bookings available for all dates. Visit our website to find out more and secure your place: https://www.dorsetmuseum.org/whats-on/?fwp_event_topic=tours

09/03/2026

Have you visited our Lucian Freud exhibition yet? 😍

Step into a gallery that celebrates the detail, drama, and brilliance of his etchings - many of them rarely seen and brimming with character!

These works highlight Freud’s creative partnership with printer Marc Balakjian, as well as his personal ties to Dorset.

Book your visit today and jump into Freud’s world 👉 poolemuseum.org.uk

09/03/2026
John Piper in the South Country is now open at Wiltshire Museum until 6 June 2026.Touring dates:Wiltshire Museum 7 March...
09/03/2026

John Piper in the South Country is now open at Wiltshire Museum until 6 June 2026.

Touring dates:

Wiltshire Museum 7 March - 6 June 2026

Museum & Art Swindon 4 July - 26 September 2026

Guest curator: Andrew Lambirth

More information: https://wessexmuseums.org.uk/our-work/exhibitions-events/john-piper-in-the-south-country/

This Wessex Museums exhibition has been made possible with support from Arts Council England.

Image: Stained glass window designed by John Piper and made by Patrick Reyntiens and David Welsey. Commissioned by Wiltshire Museum, 1981. Copyright Wiltshire Museum.

John Piper in the South Country is an exhibition focused on the artist's depiction of the landscape and architecture of Wiltshire and Dorset.

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Wessex Museums, C/o Poole Museum
Poole

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