Our Heritage Events
Allendale House is a beautiful grade II listed Georgian building spread over three floors with rooms of varying sizes to suit all sorts of meetings, events, or occasions.
The building is completely accessible with a side ramp for wheelchair access and a lift to the elevated floors
Teach These Boys and Girls Nothing but Facts! – Talk by Mike Randall
thursday 1st october – 2.00pm
A lighthearted journey of Victorian schooldays through the eyes of a Victorian headmasters’ entries in the school logbooks. Hear entries and events that may awaken some long-forgotten memories of our earlier childhood and school experiences.
Tickets: £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne
Noor Inayat Khan: A Spy Descended from Royalty – Talk by Marc Heighway
thursday 8th october 2.00pm
The extraordinary true story of Noor Inayat Khan – code name “Madeleine”. She was the first female wireless operator sent undercover into occupied France in WWII. This talk traces her Sufi upbringing and family background descended from Indian royalty to her training in Beaulieu, before her perilous missions for the SOE, capture, and ultimate sacrifice at Dachau concentration camp where she was executed.
Tickets: £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Around Athelhampton Walk – approx. 8 miles
thursday 15th october 10.00AM
Join us for an early Autumn walk through the woods and farmland of rural Dorset. The route is mostly flat on a mixture of paths and roads, but it could be muddy in places. Ancient and more recent history abounds in this area, so there is plenty to see along the way. Please bring a packed lunch and allow time for tea afterwards. Please dress appropriately for the weather with suitable footwear. Allow time for tea and cake afterwards (not included in the ticket price)
Tickets: £6.00
Meet: Details on ticket.
A World of Falconry – Talk by Anita Ebdon
tuesday 20th october 2.00pm
Come and learn about the fascinating world of Falconry and meet some incredible birds too! For Anita, Falconry is a way of life and birds of prey are her passion. She will share her unique knowledge and love of the birds in her care, giving you an insight into each of the birds she will have with her and describe how they differ from each other. This is an amazing opportunity to see these beautiful creatures up close and to learn about this age-old way of life that has continued for centuries.
Tickets: £10.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Sylvia Townsend Warner – Talk by Mark Chutter
tuesday 27th October 2.00PM
Learn about the life and work of the writer Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893 -1978) who made Dorset her home for 50 years. Sylvia was one of Britain’s most fearless and original writers, a master of wit, imagination, and quiet revolution. At a time when society was so very different from today, her novels, poetry, and stories reshaped ideas of freedom, love, and identity with clarity and conviction. Intelligent, sharp, and quietly radical, she wrote with the confidence of someone who saw the world differently and had the courage to write it that way. Sylvia has recently been honoured with a statue which sits in South Street, Dorchester – the town’s first non-royal statue of a woman – another momentous achievement by a woman with an enduring influence.
Tickets £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
The Friendship of Jane Austen & Martha – Performance by Jane Glennie
wednesday 4th november 2.00pm
This is an amusing theatrical talk set in 1809 which uses letters, recipes and gossip to tell the story of these dear friends. But Martha’s gossiping ways might reveal secrets about Jane’s attraction to Dorset.
Tickets £8.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Jack the Ripper – Talk by Nigel Williams
Thursday 12th november 2.00pm
Step back into the shadowy streets of Victorian London for a fascinating talk exploring the mystery of Jack the Ripper. This gripping presentation examines the infamous Whitechapel murders of 1888, the lives of the victims, the intense police investigation, and the many suspects who have fuelled debate for more than a century. Through historical evidence, contemporary reports, and chilling accounts from the time, discover how the case became one of the world’s most enduring unsolved mysteries.
Tickets £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Hooke Court Visit
monday 16th november 10.00am & 2.00Pm
Hooke Court in West Dorset is a Grade II listed 14th-century manor with, which was formerly owned by the Paulet family, the Dukes of Bolton and the Earl of Sandwich. Once a significant Tudor hunting residence, the site suffered considerable Civil War damage before being restored in 1647. More recently it has been lovingly renovated by the Cooper family, and the sympathetic modernisation they have achieved has meant the Manor has retained its character and charm. This wonderful building now forms part of the Hooke Court Field Studies Centre, and the family have kindly allowed us access.
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Tickets: £15.00
Meet: Details on ticket.
Wareham Walk including the Walls and River
thursday 19th november 10.00am
An 8 mile fairly flat walk through the historic town of Wareham and along the town walls, then closely following the lower River Frome, near to its estuary into Poole Harbour. There are no stiles. Please bring a packed lunch and dress appropriately for the weather with suitable footwear – it may be muddy in places. Allow time for tea and cake afterwards (not included in the ticket price).
Tickets: £6.00
Meet: Details on ticket.
British Settlers to South Africa 1820 – Talk by Dawn Denton
tuesday 24th november 2.00pm
In 1620 the Mayflower sailed to north America with 103 people, bound for a new life on a new continent. Today this momentous journey is celebrated with plaques and festivities and much fanfare. But 200 years later almost 4,000 people left Britain (under a government scheme) to settle in South Africa, and yet few people know about it. Why did they go and what happened to them when they got there?
Tickets: £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne
Hampshire: Supporting Farming through the Ages – Talk by Ruth Kerr
friday 4th december 2.00Pm
Do you know, Hampshire County Council’s improvements for farming 130 years ago are still providing outcomes for residents today? This talk sheds light on their Victorian magic lantern lectures, residential farm school, and over 30 tenant farms still helping new farmers learn their trade. Also referencing to the creation of Dorset County Farms as well.
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Tickets: £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne
The Great EDHT Quiz 2026
Wednesday 9th december 2.00pm
Bring your friends and pit your wits against each other! Test your general knowledge and have some fun; with picture rounds to frustrate and intrigue, mixed in with a lot of friendly banter. Tables of six, will battle it out for the coveted ‘Castleman Cup’. If you can’t find five friends, we will find them for you. Bring your own nibbles but some seasonal treats will be provided.
Tickets: £6 per person, maximum of six per table.
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne
Domestic technology: We Had One of Those! – Talk by Stephen Hoadley
tuesday 15th december 2.00pm
From sitting around the wireless to wringing the clothes with a mangle, our home life has changed beyond all recognition in a relatively short time. We’ve always relied on technology in the home to make life easier, but some has been more successful than the rest. How did polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride change the world? Why was there literally no BBC news one day in 1930? And how did Barry Bucknell become the king of DIY?
Tickets: £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne
Book Today!
Call us on 01202 888992 to obtain further details on all our courses, heritage events and room hire to check availability.