Blandford Museum History

This booklet describes the development and growth of the Blandford Town Museum from 1974 to 2005. The book was written by the late Pamela Le Bas, who served in a variety of capacities at the museum during the years 1997 to 2009, serving as Museum Archivist for many years prior to her death. It details all the personalities involved and all the difficulties encountered as well as describing the museum as it is today and its mission in preserving the heritage of the Blandford area.

Short history of Museum

Blandford Town Museum was started through the efforts of John and Sue Tupper starting in 1974. A building, the coach house connected to the Bastard House, was acquired in 1979 through the generosity of the William Williams Trust.

The former Curator, the late Ben Cox deserves much credit for developing the museum and also for initiating the archives, which now serve as a source of information for many researchers working at the museum.

The current Curator, Peter Andrews, has emphasized the community aspects of the museum and integrated artefacts into contextual exhibits. The museum now has a variety of special interest clubs: The Museum Railway Club, The Victorian Garden Club, Living Histories (formerly called The Oral and Video History Project and) partnership in the Blandford Environmental Trust (with Blandford Rotary and The Blandford School). It is truly a community museum, with something for everyone.

Download the full history in PDF format for printing - Blandford Museum, the first 21 years