DORSET’S smallest museum is looking forward to welcoming more visitors after a makeover.
Corfe Castle Town Trust Museum at Corfe Castle, in Purbeck, has been having a revamp over the past year.
Volunteers have commissioned paleo-artist Mark Witton to create a large-scale visualisation of the Iguanodon, based on the trackway’s footprints as part of the new look.
New graphics which feature high-quality photos and artistic images are also included along with new interactive elements such as an audio-quiz featuring intriguing Dorset dialect phrases.
The museum, which boasts 50,000 visitors a year, is also showcasing new artefacts, from a Civil War cannon ball to an original 1500s stained glass window from Corfe Castle.
Volunteers have also delivered a history engagement project at the local primary school involving pupils researching and creating short films detailing historic buildings around the village.
Louise Haywood, chair of Corfe Castle Town Trust, said: “It’s been rewarding to redisplay our gem of a museum and share the history of Corfe Castle village through new artefacts and reinvigorated displays.
“We’re definitely the small museum with a big story to tell.
“We’ve really appreciated the guidance and support of Dorset Council’s museum development service which has enabled us to access conservation, interpretation, and design expertise.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming lots of new visitors over the coming months.”
Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for culture and communities, added: “Dorset has an amazing range of museums, of all shapes and sizes and it’s great to see our small volunteer run museums making such significant strides to improve their offer and appeal to visitors.
“Corfe Castle is one of our county’s most historic villages but it’s also a really thriving community, so it’s fantastic to see that both young and older people from the area have been involved in researching and creating these exciting new displays.”
The museum is on the ground floor of the Old Town Hall at Corfe Castle - the smallest town hall in England - and is open every day with free entry.
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