The Market Town of Wimborne Minster

The Kings Head in the Square, Wimborne © H Randall 2017

The town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset owes its name to the C8^th Monastery paid for by the King’s sisters. It was a Saxon settlement on the river Stour, but today the town boasts the largest indoor market in the South of England and a competition winning Town Crier!

Historic Wimborne

Built in the C12^th the present Minster  houses the second oldest chained library anywhere. The library dates from 1686 when the monks chained books to the shelves to stop visitors taking them away. This ancient library is still open to the public. The Minster is also home to the famous C14^th Astronomical Clock. At that time people thought the earth was the centre of the solar system. So, this clock shows the sun moving around the earth.

In the centre of town, the Priest’s House, once the home of the clergy of the Minster, is now a Museum. There are ten galleries in the Museum, in addition to a working Victorian kitchen and stunning gardens. Children also love Wimborne’s Model Village which is a replica of the town as it was in the 1950s. The village has ramp access to all areas. For more information please visit http://www.wimborne-modeltown.com/

Festivals and events

Every summer, the town is host to Wimborne Folk Festival; a weekend of folk concerts and festivities. There is a fine line up of concerts, with a parade on Saturday afternoon, and a pop-up camp site.

In October, why not visit Wimborne Food Festival.

The town is a bustling market town with an covered market and independent shops, cafes and pubs. Wimborne in Bloom makes sure that the town blossoms and its volunteers work hard all year round. They fill tubs, planters and hanging baskets; pick up litter and remove weeds. They have a record to be proud of in the Regional and National In Bloom competitions. Read about them here.