Dorset

Properties and events in Dorset

Before heading out for your Heritage Open Days visit, please check entries for last-minute changes.

Print selected events below

Abbotsbury Abbey & St Catherine's Chapel walking tours

Chapel Hill, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4JH
In person
Pre-booking not required

Join the volunteers to learn more about St Catherine's Chapel and it's local surrounding. Meeting at the Abbotsbury Abbey remains information board, a walking tour to St Catherine's Chapel.

Clavell Tower: A jewel on the South West Coast Path

Clavell Tower, near Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5PE
In person
Pre-booking preferred

Open to the public once a year, Clavell Tower is a circular tower high on the cliffs above Kimmeridge Bay, above one of Dorset's most striking bays. A rare chance to see inside this well-loved landmark, normally let for holidays.

Corfe Castle Festival of Cultural Heritage

Corfe Castle, National Trust Ticket Office, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5EZ
In person
Pre-booking not required

From artisan crafts to talks and demonstrations, discover the rich and varied heritage of our local area.

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery Collections Discovery Centre Tour

66 High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA
In person
Pre-booking required

Join the collections team at Dorset Museum and Art Gallery for an exclusive opportunity to explore behind the scenes at our state-of-the-art Collections Discovery Centre.

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery Thomas Hardy Tour

66 High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA
In person
Pre-booking required

Join us at the Dorset Museum and Art Gallery to explore the galleries and learn about the life and works of Thomas Hardy through a carefully curated tour of objects from our collections.

Highcliffe Castle Open Day

Rothesay Drive, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4LE
In person
Pre-booking not required

Visit Highcliffe Castle for free during this one day special event and see this Grade I listed mansion, situated on the cliff top, with spectacular views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.

Kingston Lacy

Kingston Lacy, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 4EA
In person
Pre-booking not required

We are celebrating Heritage Open Days by offering free entry to Kingston Lacy on 12-14 September. Discover Kingston Lacy, an opulent family home built to resemble a Venetian Palace.

Lulworth Castle & Park

Lulworth Castle, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QS
In person
Pre-booking not required

Visit and discover the stunning Lulworth Castle & Chapel of St Mary.

Lulworth Castle House

Lulworth Castle House, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QS
In person
Pre-booking required

Visit the Weld family home in the grounds of Lulworth Castle. The Entrance Hall & Drawing Room will be open to view. The gardens are not open.

Morgan Carey Architects, The Goods Shed, Open Studio

The Goods Shed, Sandford Lane, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4DX
In person
Pre-booking not required

Open Architects Studio in a Converted Railway Goods Shed. See how this busy architect's practice has made a part of Wareham's past their own.

Museum of East Dorset

23-29 High Street, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 1HR
In person
Pre-booking required

For more than 400 years, many different families lived and worked in our grade II listed townhouse.

Portland House

24 Belle Vue Road, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8RZ
In person
Pre-booking not required

Portland House, not normally open to the public, offers a rare opportunity to see inside a very special 1930s house. It has original 1930s features, is beautifully furnished and sits in stunning grounds with far reaching sea views.

Richmond Hill St Andrews United Reformed Church

St Stephens Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6JJ
In person
Pre-booking not required

A fine Gothic Church in the heart of Bournemouth.

St Andrew’s Church

St. Andrews Church, Millhams Road, Kinson, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH10 7LN
In person
Pre-booking not required

Come and visit the oldest Church in Bournemouth.

St James Church

Thames Street, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1JN
In person
Pre-booking not required

Experience fragments of Poole's past in this fascinating Church.

Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust Mill

Sturminster Newton Town Mill, The Bridge, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 2HW
In person
Pre-booking not required

A fascinating working mill in the heart of the Dorset countryside.

The Home of an Art Lover: Dunshay Manor

Dunshay Manor, Haycrafts Lane, near Harman's Cross, Dorset, BH19 3EB
In person
Pre-booking preferred

Open to the public just once a year, visit Dunshay Manor near Corfe Castle to discover its creative past and fall in love with its Arts & Crafts charm.

The Keep Military Museum

The Keep, Barrack Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1RN
In person
Pre-booking not required

Join us for Heritage Open Day 2024, Sunday 15th September, with free admission to the Keep! To celebrate this national event, the Keep will be open for free with a brand new guide to the building itself, a new children’s trail & craft activities.

The Keep Military Museum

The Keep Military Museum, Barrack Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1RN
In person
Pre-booking not required

Visit Dorchester's striking landmark museum as part of Discover Dorchester

Upton House

Upton Country Park, Poole Road, Upton, Poole, Dorset, BH17 7BJ
In person
Pre-booking required

Upton House will be open to all for 2 days of exhibitions and guided tours to tell the story of its connections to Poole and the local community created by history and costume students from Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth.

Weld Memorial Chapel

North Road, Chideock, Dorset, DT6 6RY
In person
Pre-booking not required

A rare example of a complete mid-19th Century Mortuary Chapel.

White Mill

White Mill, Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 4BX
In person
Pre-booking not required

We are celebrating Heritage Open Days by offering free entry to White Mill on 7 and 8 September. Discover White Mill, a corn mill with original wooden machinery in a peaceful riverside setting

Wimborne Minster Bell Tower Guided Visit

Wimborne Minster Church of St Cuthburga, High St, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 1EB
In person
Pre-booking required

See historic Wimborne Minster from above.