Renowned for its architecture, built by two former pupils of Sir Christopher Wren, it is one of England’s finest examples of a Georgian town. Blandford Forum also offers an historic fashion collection, world class opera and wonderful walks.
Admire its Georgian Architecture
On June 4, 1731, an inattentive soap boilers’ apprentice lost control of a fire in a tallow chandler’s workshop resulting in 90% of Blandford Forum being razed to the ground. As with the Great Fire of London, this allowed for a radical rethink. With an Act of Parliament ensuring that the rebuild would be in brick and tile, local brothers John and William Bastard (both students of Sir Christopher Wren) rebuilt their market town, from the Purbeck-stone clad Palladian Town Hall to humble houses and shops down cobbled alleys. Blandford is one of the finest complete examples of Georgian town architecture in the UK earning it the sobriquet ‘a little Bath in bricks’.
Visit a Fashion Show
John and William Bastard came from a large family and, when rebuilding their hometown, designed and built a house for their five sisters - Lime Tree House on The Plocks. Dating from 1760, this handsome house is now home to Blandford Fashion Museum which has a collection of over 4000 pieces covering everything from corsets, bonnets and waistcoats from the 1740s and beyond to 1920s flapper party frocks and groovy 1970s kaftans. They also host regular events including a Macrame Workshop (August 8), and a talk on the wartime fashion model and photographer Lee Miller (September 12). blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk
Explore its Wild Side
One of the natural treasures of Blandford Forum is Stour Meadows. These extensive water meadows on either side of the Stour, which sweeps past the edge of town, are easily reached on foot or by bike and offer easy flat riverside walks, keep an eye out for kingfishers and otters. Another easily accessible route is the North Dorset Trailway, a 14-mile traffic free route (from Sturminster Newton to Spetisbury) for walkers, runners, cyclists, horse riders and mobility scooters, made up of sections of the former Somerset and Dorset Railway track. Follow signs and tarmac paths across the meadow to the black bridge over the Stour to pick it up. northdorsettrailway.org.uk
A Night at the Opera
Bryanston School is a famous private co-educational school on the outskirts of town. Within its grounds is the Coade Theatre which hosts professional touring theatre and school productions, as well as the Dorset Opera Festival in July. Home to one of the world’s foremost residential opera summer schools, this annual event attracts rising opera stars and renowned directors as well as giving those wishing to embark on a career, either on stage or behind the scenes, a chance to be part of a world class production. In 2024, Dorset’s most prestigious classical music festival is marking its 50th anniversary with some very special operatic productions. dorsetopera.com
Toasting with a Badger
Hall and Woodhouse Brewery has been brewing real ales here since 1777. They also run some 250 pubs across Southern England including The Crown on West Street. For this independent family brewer, giving back to the local community is part of their ethos. On Founder’s Day (June 8) employees do a Founder’s Sweepers local litter pick and street clean. They also run annual Community Chest Awards, open to charitable organisations across Dorset and the south-east, with a £50,000 fund to dip into. Book a Brewery Tour (from £25) of their state-of-the-art brewery in Blandford St Mary, followed by a flight of their Badger Beers. Then browse their onsite Brewery Shop. badgerbeers.com
Retail Therapy
There’s a good range of independent shops on West, East, and Salisbury Street, as well as side streets such as Barnack Walk, The Georgian Passage and Greyhound Square. Conyers Home & Country Store on West Street (opened in 1886) is the town’s oldest business. A little further afield, The Grainstore Emporium on Shaftesbury Lane has antique, retro, vintage and artisan treasures. The Ginger Viking on East Street, a deli café and bar championing Dorset produce, won Observer Food Monthly’s 2022 Best Place to Drink and is renowned for its cocktails. Market days are Thursday and Saturdays, with Blandford Forum Farmers’ and Makers Market on the last Sunday of the month. facebook.com/blandfordforummarket
Signals & Skates
World War One turned Blandford into a military town due to the railway. Blandford Camp is home to the Royal Signals and its fascinating Museum covering everything from Morse Code to Cyber Warfare. On August 19 they are hosting a Second World War Story Collection Day: Their Finest Hour, people are requested to bring in diaries, letters, photographs, or objects associated with this era to be photographed and added to their digital archive (royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk). The following day, SkateFest 2023 at Blandford Skate Park in Stour Park (August 20, 10am-4pm) features skateboarding workshops for all abilities and ages run by King Ramps, alongside demos by pro skateboarders, BMX and scooter riders. blandfordforum-tc.gov.uk/skatefest-2023
Walk through History
Discover some of this Georgian town’s history with these two-hour walks lead by town guides from the Blandford Civic Society. Heritage Walks reveals the story of Blandford up to the Georgian rebuilding; starts from the flood wall in the Marsh & Ham car park behind Morrisons (Aug 6/Sept 10 &17). Perimeter Walks cover more recent developments (Aug 20/ Sept 24), and Geology Walks explores the stones making up the town’s architecture (Sept 17), both start from Scrivens (Durdens Corner) in the Market Place. All walks leave at 11am and cost £5 per person, but in September they will be free as part of Dorset Architectural Heritage Week (Sept 8-17). blandfordtownmuseum.org.uk/events/
