From The Manse To The Priest’s House

Before Bob drove off to London yesterday to see Steph and Mark, he and I went over to Wimborne, for coffee and a wander round the town museum. Located just off the main square, right opposite the Minster, is the Priest’s House. The oldest parts of the grade II* listed building date to the 16th century; originally there would have been an open courtyard at the front, but it was enclosed about 200 years after the house was first built. Despite its name, and proximity to the church, there is no record of a priest living there, and the present name in fact appeared for the first time on an Ordnance Survey map only in 1889.

From the second half of the 19th century, the building was mainly an ironmonger’s shop, taken over by Tom Coles from his father in 1899. Tom was born in the house and, in 1907, so was his daughter, Hilda. Hers was a lively, intelligent personality, but she saw it as her duty to help her father in the business and to take over the running of it on his death in 1953. In 1960 Hilda took the decision to close the shop and, having inherited her father’s passionate interest in everything connected with the history of Wimborne, fulfilled her long-cherished wish to make the building into a town museum.

Part of the building had been let to the stationery business run by the Low family. When John Low closed the business in 1872, he gave the eccentric instruction that the shop was to be boarded up and remain untouched until his death.

When he died thirty years later, Tom Coles found and kept a range of items of Victorian stationery. Among them were more than 350 Valentines which now form one of the best collections in existence and are regarded as of national importance. The room that was the stationer’s shop forms one of the displays in the museum. Hilda died in 1967, but the Museum remains a vibrant legacy to her love of the town and its heritage.

When he died thirty years later, Tom Coles found and kept a range of items of Victorian stationery. Among them were more than 350 Valentines which now form one of the best collections in existence and are regarded as of national importance. The room that was the stationer’s shop forms one of the displays in the museum. Hilda died in 1967, but the Museum remains a vibrant legacy to her love of the town and its heritage. This guy in the parlour has some fantastic Dorset Buttons on his jacket!

There are ten galleries to explore, a walled garden and a tearoom [the tearoom sadly was closed when we visited, and heavy rain kept us out of the garden – but next time…]It is really worth a visit [or two – a day pass is £3, a year’s pass only £5.50] We enjoyed the Georgian Parlour, the Victorian kitchen and schoolroom, displays of East Dorset Industry, and lots more besides.

The Museum is well set up for children/ school parties, and has good information panels, artefacts in glass cases at and things which can be touched, space for visitors to add comments and reminiscences…

But I must be getting old - not only were there things on display that I have and use- there were toys similar to the ones my children played with. I suppose thirty years ago counts as history now...