High West Street
Shire Hall is an 18th-century courthouse in Dorchester, Dorset. The building was the centre of law, order and government, and served as the county hall for Dorset until 1955. It has been Grade-I listed since 1950.
In 2018, the hall opened as the Shire Hall Museum.
The new immersive museum enables visitors of all ages to explore the history of law and order, as well as past and present efforts to achieve justice for all people.
Walk in the footsteps of everyday people who were tried and sentenced in the court. Use the interactive multi-media guides to find out what happened to them. Discover the depths of the cold, dark cells, and stand in the dock of the historic courtroom, where famous novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was a magistrate. Dress up in wigs, gowns and hats to play the part and uncover the remarkable stories of those who passed through the building. Learn what it means when we say “crime,” what we want when we demand punishment for those crimes and how we can all make the present-day world that little bit fairer.
See where the Tolpuddle Martyrs were held before being brought to trial, thereby sparking the Trade Union movement. Learn how it felt for them to be separated from their families and sentenced to transportation to Australia.
Plus, all visitors can enjoy refreshments and delicious food at the new Shire Hall Café.
Shire Hall is fully accessible to most wheelchair users.
——
Shire Hall Museum is Dorchester’s Tourist Information Point! Head here for monthly What’s Ons, leaflets galore, and helpful volunteers.
