About Us

A short history

The Dorchester Association was established in 1982 to promote and encourage the study of Dorchester’s history and archaeology and to engage local people with the conservation of their heritage.

We hold a series of eight lectures on Thursday evenings between September and May, at the Dorford Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester, starting at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome to attend talks for a suggested donation of £3. The programme may be downloaded below.

Just as local people conserved Dorchester’s Roman and pre-Roman monuments by forcing changes to the route of the railways at the height of the Industrial Revolution, so the Association continues this tradition today by voicing its opinion on local heritage conservation issues.


Dorchester Association research programme 2023 24

Maumbury Rings, the Roman amphitheatre at the southern end of the town.

“the Association voices its opinion on local heritage conservation issues”

West Walks, which follow the line of the Roman wall. The Borough Gardens on the left occupy the site of three lines of defensive ditches.

About 50 people attended the first meeting in 1982; today the Association has about 100 members and maintains its core activities. It organises talks, excursions, walks and field trips every year and members are encouraged to carry out research as well

We also organise field trips to digs, houses, museums and other places of interest, often at short notice in the case of archaeology on development sites. Please see the Events page for further details. Visitors can join us on these but sometimes we need to make the visits ‘Members only’ for logistical reasons. 

Members viewing archaeological work at Poundbury.
WordPress and web design support in Dorchester from Websites by Mark