Sturminster Newton Museum and Mill

About the museum

Sturminster Newton Museum began as a society formed in 1984, prompted by a local collector and campaigner for a museum. The first museum opened on 15 July 1989 in the disused chapel of the old Union Workhouse on Bath Road. The site lay on the edge of the town, had poor parking and unsuitable conditions for conserving objects, and attracted few visitors.

In 2007 the society raised enough money, with strong community support, for a deposit on a mortgage to buy the present building, Old Market Cross House. A Heritage Lottery Fund grant paid for alterations, and the new museum opened to the public on 1 August 2008. The society became Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust in 2019.

The collections record the social history of the town and nearby villages, with photographs and objects from the former cattle market, cheese making and railway, as well as items about button making, glove making and other lost trades. The museum has a detailed interactive model of the station on the Somerset and Dorset line, which closed in 1966, and shows displays on Roman heritage, household equipment and the history of the town.

The Trust also runs the working water mill on the River Stour, where milling is thought to have taken place for about a thousand years. Visitors can see the machinery over several floors and learn how stone-ground flour is made.

Highlights

• Interactive model of Sturminster Newton railway station
• Roman heritage display including the Hinton St Mary mosaic story
• Photographs and objects from the cattle market, cheese making and railway
• Working water mill with three floors of machinery
• Museum and mill shops with local books and gifts

Permanent exhibitions

• Sturminster Newton Model Railway – A detailed, interactive model of the town’s station and surroundings on the former Somerset and Dorset line, with sound, lighting and photographs comparing past and present.
• The History of Sturminster Newton – A display covering the town from prehistoric times to today, including an early map from 1783 and a collection of crested china souvenirs.
• The Mill – A working water mill on the River Stour with several floors of machinery, where stone-ground flour is produced.

Founded

1989

Operated by

Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the museum is free. Entry inside the mill costs £5 for adults and £1 for children under 16, and pre-school children are free; the outside of the mill is free to visit. Group visits to the mill can be arranged at reduced prices.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum and the mill are listed as wheelchair accessible. At the mill, wheelchair users are welcome free of charge but access is on the ground floor only, as the upper floors are reached by stairs. Visitors who find stairs difficult may struggle with uneven surfaces and steps at the mill, and easy access can be arranged.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The model railway has push buttons that children and adults can use to run trains, sounds and lighting. The mill has a low child ticket price and a picnic area, and the museum has run free drop-in workshops for children aged 5 to 12 during school holidays.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Old Market Cross House at the Market Cross in the town centre. Toilets and a picnic area are close to the mill.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shops in the museum and the mill sell books, souvenirs, crafts, toys, jams and chutneys. The mill shop also sells hot and cold drinks and ice cream. A free car park, toilets and a picnic area are close to the mill.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit