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
Poole Park – Guided Walk by Hattie Miles – Re-scheduled to Monday 14th September
This walk takes you through the history of Poole Park with some quirky stories including King Canute, a chess champion and Miss World. It was opened in 1890 by the Prince of Wales and began as a Victorian “People’s Park” on land donated by Lord Wimborne. It’s large boating lake and cycle track was added to over the years with additions like the Poole Park Zoo (1963-1994), and significant regeneration projects have helped preserve its heritage while adding modern features like play areas, gardens, and a miniature railway, making it a much-loved community area.
Tickets £10.00
Meet: Details on ticket.
“Look into my Eyes”
The history and mystery of Hypnosis – Talk by Alan Jones
Tuesday 4th august 2.00pm
The history and mystery of Hypnosis. Mention hypnotism and people fear being turned into chickens. Yet the history of hypnosis dates back to the dawn of civilisation. So, sit back, relax and discover the history and mystery of hypnosis, plus the benefits of Hypnotherapy today. Don’t worry …. you won’t become a chicken!
Tickets: £6.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
If only time could tell. A story of long ago – Talk by David Smith
tuesday 11th august 2.00pM
This illustrated talk follows centuries of everyday life on the royal manor of Kingston Lacy drawn directly from the ancient manorial records and royal documents. These are rare glimpses into a medieval world long forgotten, from Feudal over-lord to freeman and peasant.
After this talk, you are welcome to join us for an informal Annual Friend’s Meeting where you can find out how EDHT has progressed through the past year.
Tickets: £6.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Villages Near Wimborne Walk
thursday 20th august 10.00am
A 6.5-mile stroll to visit three local hamlets and villages with much history to discover. Hear about the 13th Century church at Chalbury and the creation of the cricket park. Please bring a packed lunch and allow time for tea afterwards. Please dress appropriately for the weather, with suitable footwear.
Tickets: £6.00
Meet: Details on ticket.
Call My Quaff – Quiz with Ian Henessey
friday 21st august 4.00pm
Come and join us for an afternoon of fun and discover things about wine that you thought you already knew! We’ll be sampling a variety of types, paired with delicious nibbles to help keep the decision-making easy. Grab your friends and come discover a whole new side to wine! Can you tell the difference between a £5 bottle and a £50 bottle?
Tickets £20.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
The Architecturally Eccentric Follies & Grottoes – Talk by Phil Broomfield
tuesday 25th august 2.00pm
Phil Broomfield is a professional gardener based in Bournemouth and he has always been intrigued with Follies and Grottoes when visiting historic gardens and landscapes around the country. This interest has led to this talk which delves into the origins of these extraordinary creations and showcases those that lie within Dorset and surrounding counties.
Tickets: £6.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Coach Visit to The Newt, Somerset
Thursday 3rd september 8.30Am
Join us for an exclusive day out at The Newt!
Discover the stunning transformation of Somerset’s historic Hadspen Estate into a vibrant celebration of nature, history, and food. This exclusive day out offers something for everyone, from spectacular gardens to immersive experiences with farm to table restaurants, shops and activities. The estate has so many stories to tell, of its past, its present and its future and truly makes this a day to remember! Enjoy a private tour of the garden and lunch as part of this exclusive experience.
Tickets £75.00
Meet: Details on ticket.
Around the World – The Weird, Wild and Wonderful USA – Talk by Andrew Negus
monday 7th september 2.00Pm
Andrew returns for the next instalment of his journey of discovery. This time it’s the USA with a 6-week train journey starting off in California and ending in New York, but there is also the Rockies, Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington State and a car journey through the Great Plains.
Tickets: £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Pamphill and Kingston Lacy Estate Walk – approx. 6 miles
thursday 10th september 10.00am
Enjoy a shorter walk through some lovely rolling countryside which is steeped in history. Starting in Pamphill and heading west this walk takes you through land which is part of the Kingston Lacy estate along some ancient pathways. Please make sure you dress appropriately for the weather with suitable footwear. There will be a short break, so please bring a snack and drink with you.
Tickets £6.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne
One Century – Two Pandemics – Talk by Dr Carole Reeves
thursday 17th september 2.00pm
Worldwide, 7 million people died from Covid during the 2020-2021 pandemic. A global tragedy that initially cast a shadow of vulnerability over our sophisticated scientific medicine. However, Spanish flu, a whole century earlier, claimed the lives of over 50 million people. It is easy in hindsight to consider both pandemics in terms of medical ignorance (influenza) versus the success of cutting-edge science (Covid). However, in this talk we’ll explore successes and failures in both pandemics and understand how we don’t always learn from history.
Tickets £7.00
Meet: Castleman Suite, Allendale House, Wimborne.
Studland Peninsula Walk – approx. 7.5 miles
thursday 24th september – 10.00aM
Come and explore the Studland peninsula on this 7.5mile walk on generally level terrain. Depending on the weather and tide we will be exploring the coastline, dunes and heathland. Enjoy wonderful views of our amazing coastline and spot seabirds and late flowering heathland plants. Please bring a packed lunch and dress appropriately for the weather with suitable footwear. Allow time for tea and cake afterwards (not included in the ticket price). Please remember your National Trust cards for free parking, otherwise charges apply.
Tickets: £6.00
Meet: Details on ticket.
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.