Gillingham Tourist Information

Gillingham Dorset Tourism Guide & Attractions

Gillingham in Dorset, not to be confused with the one in Kent, is the county's most northerly town.

There has been a settlement at Gillingham since 2500 BC. Just a mile to the north west of the town is Longbury Barrow - an ancient burial mound dating from the Neolithic period. The Romans also settled here and all sorts of artefacts have been found around the town and are displayed in the town museum. However, it was really a Saxon stronghold from which the name is derived meaning "homestead of the followers of Gylla".

Gillingham's church, St Mary the Virgin's Church, has several Saxon remains including a cross shaft dating from the ninth century. The town has retained some historic buildings most notably the Tudor Wyke Hall which along with the church is the oldest building in the town.

Gillingham was also the seat of a royal hunting lodge in the Middle Ages and was used by Henry I, Henry II, Henry III, and King John. The lodge was destroyed by Edward III in 1369 after it fell into disrepair. From 1769 Gillingham developed as a mill town for silk. The town flourished with the coming of the railway in the nineteenth century and a variety of industries have supported the town including glove making, brickmaking, cheese production and printing. It is still an excellent link in the rail network with regular trains connecting the town with London and the South East as well as trains onwards to Devon and the South West.

• Hotels in Gillingham
• Bed and Breakfast in Gillingham
• Accommodation Gillingham Dorset

Gillingham Museum

Gillingham Museum was founded in 1953 to house the Freame family's collection of historic documents and artefacts.

The Museum is now housed in a modern purpose built extension to the library and houses a range of collections from geological specimens and artefacts from Iron Age, Roman and Saxon through to the railways and a reconstruction of a Victorian parlour.

A particular feature of the exhibition is a collection of sketches and reproductions of paintings John Constable did of Gillingham. The original Constable painting of "Old Gillingham Bridge" is in the Tate Gallery in London.

The museum is open Mon-Tues and Thurs-Fri at 10am-5pm. It also open on Saturdays at 9.30 am-12.30pm. Gillingham Museum, Chantry Fields, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4UA. Tel: 01747 854018. Email: gillinghammuseum@waitrose.com.

• Gillingham Hotels
• Gillingham Bed and Breakfasts
• Guest Houses in Gillingham

Gillingham Festival

Gillingham its own annual festival incorporating a wide range of events including a variety of music, theatre, dance, exhibitions, sport, food and wine, antique valuations, open gardens and classic cars.

Festival events stretch over two weeks in and around Gillingham including evening concerts and children's entertainment.

Check out the weblink right for information on this year's festival.

• Gillingham Guest Houses
• Gillingham Accommodation
• Accommodation in Gillingham

Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Show

Another annual event is the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Show that usually takes place in August every year.

There are a wide range of stalls and events including cattle, sheep and dog shows, horse riding competitions, a food hall and cookery theatre and, of course, traditional competitions such as vegetable growing competitions.

The Show is held at Turnpike Showground, Motcombe which lies just off the B3081between Shaftesbury and Gillingham.

Check the link right for up-to-date information.

• Gillingham B&Bs
• B&Bs in Gillingham
• Hotels in Gillingham Dorset