Dorset’s smallest museum completes year long makeover
The site's been revamped for tens of thousands to enjoy each year
Corfe Castle Town Trust Museum in Purbeck has been revamped for both residents and visitors to enjoy.
Despite its small size, the museum gets a footfall of over 50,000 people each year so “it needs to pack a punch.”
Volunteers have replaced tired and forlorn displays with a large-scale visualisation of an Iguanodon curated by paleo-artist Mark Witton.
There are also some interactive elements, including an audio-quiz, and new artefacts, from a Civil War cannon ball to an original 1500s stained glass window from Corfe Castle.
Louise Haywood, Chair of Corfe Castle Town Trust, said: “It’s been rewarding to redisplay our gem of a museum and share the history of Corfe Castle village through new artefacts and reinvigorated displays.”
It’s a small museum with a big story to tell as Cllr Laura Beddow added: “Corfe Castle is one of our county’s most historic villages but it’s also a really thriving community,
“It’s fantastic to see both young and older people from the area get involved in researching and creating these exciting new displays.”
Over the past year, volunteers worked alongside the local primary school to make short films detailing historic buildings around the village.
Designers were also commissioned to create new graphics that feature high quality photographic and artistic images, enhancing the experience for visitors.
Cllr Beddow concluded: “Dorset has an amazing range of museums, of all shapes and sizes and it’s great to see our small volunteer run museums making such significant strides to improve their offer and appeal to visitors.”