Sherborne Museum

Museum

What is recorded here

Read the whole record

Sherborne Museum is a community-run heritage place housed in the 15th century Abbey Gatehouse, a Grade II listed building in Sherborne, Dorset. Established in 1968, it showcases the town's geology, archaeology, natural history, and social and cultural heritage. Notable exhibits include an interactive display of the Sherborne Missal, a late fifteenth-century wall painting, and botanical watercolours. The museum was founded by the Sherborne Museum Association in 1966, with the acquisition of the Abbey Gatehouse made possible by Frederick Marsden's endowment. In the 1990s, an adjoining medieval Almoner’s house was purchased and incorporated, increasing exhibition space. Accredited status was awarded in 2007, and in 2025, Sherborne Museum received VisitEngland’s Hidden Gem accolade.

What this place is

Sherborne Museum is an independent, community-run museum housed in the Abbey Gatehouse, a Grade II listed building.

People and events

The museum was established by the Sherborne Museum Association in 1966, with Reverend Joseph Fowler playing a key role in early proposals. It was opened in 1968 by Sir Owen Morshead. In the 1990s, the medieval Almoner’s house was purchased and incorporated.

How it was used

The museum displays Sherborne's geology, archaeology, natural history, and social and cultural heritage. It operates as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, run by volunteers, with an active outreach and engagement programme.

What survives

Surviving features in the adjoining medieval Almoner’s house include a ground-floor mullioned corner window and moulded cross-beams in the ceiling.

Why it mattered

Reverend Joseph Fowler's proposal became a permanent town collection when Frederick Marsden's gift secured the abbey gatehouse in 1967. Adding the probable medieval almoner's house later preserved another threatened building and created room to keep Sherborne's wall painting, fossils, images and working memories together.