Sherborne Museum

Sherborne Museum, with over 15,000 items of local history, is in the heart of the town close to five of the most ancient buildings in its history: the Abbey, Sherborne School, the Almshouse, the Conduit and the Old Church House.

A wall painting of 1480, taken from a medieval house nearby, was discovered only in 1962 under layers of paper and whitewash. It illustrates a legend, explained in a panel, concerning a cleric who conjured a (disarmingly perky) devil into a boot.

Plans, drawings and other items in the Museum illustrate the Castle and Manor of Sherborne, once owned by Sir Walter Raleigh, the house he built for himself and the several enlargements made by the Digby family. Nineteenth-century Sherborne is brought to life by photographs; paintings and drawings.

The Costume Collection, of which a selection is on display, contains a number of items with links to local people. The fully furnished Sherborne Dolls House is on permanent display for the delight of children of all ages.

Apart from a few purchases, the items have all been donated by local residents, and the displays are enhanced by models, illustrations and back-drops by local artists.

Additional info

The staff and the curator of the Museum are always happy to answer visitors' enquiries and to give access, by arrangement in advance, for serious students to material which may not be on general display.