Dorset Archives Trust Summer Gala

All are welcome to join us at the Dorset Archives Trust Summer Gala for 2026, which is being held this year at Mapperton House, by the kind permission of the Earl and Countess of Sandwich.

Please bring your own picnic to enjoy in the grounds of Mapperton House (or in the Coach House if wet.) You will also enjoy strawberries, cream and a glass of fizz, included in your ticket price. The picnic will run 6pm-7.30pm.

This will be followed by a talk from the Countess of Sandwich, Julie Montagu, on the Alberta Research Project, a prize-winning archive project to catalogue the archives of Alberta Sturges, American heiress and the 9th Countess of Sandwich, with the help of an international team of volunteers.

This event is an important annual fundraiser for Dorset Archives Trust, the charity which promotes the preservation of Dorset’s unique and precious archival heritage.

The address of the event is Mapperton House, Mapperton, DT8 3NR – free car parking available at this location.