Stories to

ignite the imagination

Sherborne
Museum

Sherborne Museum is located at the heart of the community in one of the most beautiful towns in Dorset. We aim to tell the story of its rich heritage through our fascinating collections.

About the Museum

Opening Hours

The museum is now closed for the winter and will reopen in February 2025.

FREE ADMISSION

Address: Abbey Gatehouse, Church Lane, Sherborne, DT9 3BP

Plan your visit

Sherborne
Museum

Sherborne Museum is located at the heart of the community in one of the most beautiful towns in Dorset. We aim to tell the story of its rich heritage through our fascinating collections.

About the Museum

Visit the
Museum

April to mid-December
Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10.30am – 4.30pm.

FREE ADMISSION

Address: Abbey Gatehouse, Church Lane, Sherborne, DT9 3BP

Plan your visit

Exhibitions, Talks
& Events

Be intrigued, informed and inspired by our free exhibitions, talks and family-friendly events.

View Exhibitions

View Talks

View Events

Unlocking the Archives

In this talk, several of the volunteers involved with a grant-funded project to catalogue the David Hunt Collection of glass plate negatives will share their experiences and some of the collection highlights.

The Sherborne Singers

Henry and Robert Hammond collected around 900 songs from across Dorset in a bid to save the county's folk traditions from slipping into obscurity. Diana Churchill's talk focuses on the music they collected from Sherborne.

The Rise and Fall of a Cottage Industry

Textile artist, Anna McDowell, follows the history of button making as a local cottage industry, from its origins in Shaftesbury in the 1600s to its eventual demise two hundred years later.

Dating the Cerne Abbas Giant

In March 2020, in the week before Covid restrictions, National Trust archaeologists and volunteers embarked on a quest to date the Cerne Abbas Giant. This is the story of what they discovered.

Tithe Barns

Joseph Rogers will explore the history of tithe barns – important historic buildings dotted across the British and European landscape. He will discuss the purpose of these iconic structures and their key architectural features.

Exhibitions, Talks
& Events

Be intrigued, informed and inspired by our free exhibitions, talks and family-friendly events.

View Exhibitions

View Talks

Sherborne and the River Yeo

Discover how crucial the River Yeo has been to the development of Sherborne and shaped the lives of those who have lived alongside it. Learn about local mills and the importance of trades such as silk manufacture and willow working.

Turning the Pages

A permanent digital display, produced in collaboration with the British Library, celebrates the Sherborne Missal, the largest and most lavishly decorated English Service book to survive from the Middle Ages.

Learning to See

Mabel Frances Wickham was a much-loved art teacher in Sherborne and member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. This small exhibition reveals the town, as seen through her eyes, during the mid-twentieth century.

Fairs, Festivals & Markets

One of our main temporary exhibitions revels in the occasions when our community comes together in time-honoured and traditional manner! Learn more about Sherborne's famous medieval street fair, Pack Monday.

Collections

Intangible Heritage

Archives and Library

Art

Industrial and Social History

Textiles

Numismatics

Archaeology

Geology and Natural History

“Just an amazing hidden gem! So many wonderful stories, well told and interpreted. The best thing about Sherborne! Well done, all.”

“Extraordinarily well curated museum. A treasure. Thank you so much for taking such care.”

“It was a pleasure to view the rich and extensive history of Sherborne here. A special town indeed.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, enthusiasm and wonderful jewel of a museum.”

“It was a pleasure to visit this lovely museum.”

“Great exhibitions and great to see how well Sherborne’s history has been preserved. Brilliant work!”

“The Missal display was excellent.”

“A lovely little treasure. Very friendly staff and child friendly too.”

“What a fascinating collection! The whole layered history of Sherborne gathered together.”

“The fossils were very cool!”

“Stunning. I loved the mouse in the dolls’ house.”

“So well curated – really impressive! Thank you.”

“Lovely museum. Remarkable that it’s free of charge. Lots of very interesting exhibits.”

“Fantastic museum. You have used every available space to create a fascinating journey through time.”

“Wonderful museum. Fantastic for the children and well worth a visit”

“Very interesting, diverse collections and friendly volunteers – a lovely way to spend an hour or so.”

“Wonderful collections, well presented and such a great way to celebrate how special Sherborne is!”

Discover Sherborne

Sherborne is a great little market town with a fascinating history. Situated on the River Yeo on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, it is built from the distinctive honey-coloured Ham Hill stone.

Discover more

Museum Shop

Stories to

ignite the imagination

Sherborne Museum

Opening Hours

Sherborne Museum

Visit the Museum

Exhibitions, Talks & Events

Unlocking the Archives

The Sherborne Singers

The Rise and Fall of a Cottage Industry

Dating the Cerne Abbas Giant

Tithe Barns

Exhibitions, Talks & Events

Sherborne and the River Yeo

Turning the Pages

Learning to See

Fairs, Festivals & Markets

Collections

Intangible Heritage

Archives and Library

Art

Industrial and Social History

Textiles

Numismatics

Archaeology

Geology and Natural History

“Just an amazing hidden gem! So many wonderful stories, well told and interpreted. The best thing about Sherborne! Well done, all.”

“Extraordinarily well curated museum. A treasure. Thank you so much for taking such care.”

“It was a pleasure to view the rich and extensive history of Sherborne here. A special town indeed.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, enthusiasm and wonderful jewel of a museum.”

“It was a pleasure to visit this lovely museum.”

“Great exhibitions and great to see how well Sherborne’s history has been preserved. Brilliant work!”

“The Missal display was excellent.”

“A lovely little treasure. Very friendly staff and child friendly too.”

“What a fascinating collection! The whole layered history of Sherborne gathered together.”

“The fossils were very cool!”

“Stunning. I loved the mouse in the dolls’ house.”

“So well curated – really impressive! Thank you.”

“Lovely museum. Remarkable that it’s free of charge. Lots of very interesting exhibits.”

“Fantastic museum. You have used every available space to create a fascinating journey through time.”

“Wonderful museum. Fantastic for the children and well worth a visit”

“Very interesting, diverse collections and friendly volunteers – a lovely way to spend an hour or so.”

“Wonderful collections, well presented and such a great way to celebrate how special Sherborne is!”

Discover Sherborne

Become a Member

Become a Volunteer

Donate an Object

Become a Member

Become a Volunteer

Donate an Object

Sherborne
Museum

Sherborne
Museum

Visit the
Museum

Exhibitions, Talks
& Events

Exhibitions, Talks
& Events