Town Guide - Wareham Town Council

WAREHAM 

Town Guide 

2012-2013 

With the compliments of Wareham Town Council

WAREHAM TOWN GUIDE 

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2 2012–2013


Welcome to Wareham 

A warm welcome to Wareham. I am very proud that Wareham Town 

Council has once again published this Town Guide, not only for our 

visitors but as a useful publication for all local residents. With modern 

facilities, a long history, plenty to see and a variety of superb natural 

features within a short walk of the town centre, you will not be lost for 

things to do. Whether you are here for a short stay or longer, this guide 

will prove invaluable. 

Wareham is a historic Dorset town, a gateway town to the beautiful Isle 

of Purbeck and its stunning Jurassic coastline and is the hub of Purbeck’s 

business and commercial life. An ancient, Saxon walled town where you 

can still ‘walk the walls’ enjoying fine views over the lush water 

meadows, stroll by our two rivers, enjoy the abundant river life or take 

a boat trip. Specialist shops, good restaurants, public houses, historic 

churches, sports and play facilities, open spaces, quaint old lanes, a 

modern leisure centre, markets, a fascinating museum and an 

independent cinema – all this you can find in Wareham. Wareham 

recently won three successive Gold awards in the South/South East in 

Bloom Competition and has made two appearances at the national 

Mayor and Mayoress 

Keith and Vera Green 

Britain in Bloom finals, so I am sure you will also enjoy our superb floral displays. For those coming to live and work 

in the town, Wareham has modern school, health/welfare facilities, community halls, a large recreation ground, 

railway station, business parks and a variety of housing. I do hope you enjoy Wareham and will want to return time and 

time again. 

Councillor Keith Green, Mayor of Wareham 2012/2013 

2012–2013 3


4 2012–2013

✧ Welcome to Wareham – Mayor’s Introduction. 3 

✧ Enjoy Wareham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

✧ Pack a Picnic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

✧ Wareham Town Council. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

✧ Sports and Leisure in Wareham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

✧ Wareham Town Crier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

✧ Diamond Jubilee 2012 and Olympic 

✧ Flame Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

✧ Wareham Wednesdays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

✧ Wareham Town Band. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

✧ Wareham Carnival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

✧ Wareham Music Festival. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 


Contents 

Map – Wareham Town Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

Map – Wareham Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20/21 

Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Wine and Dine in Wareham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

Wareham – From Bronze Age Settlement to 

Modern Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

Wareham in Bloom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Wareham in Bloom – Blooming Lovely! . . . . 30/31 

Education and Youth Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

Father Christmas Parade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Local Information Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Clubs and Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 

Acknowledgements: Wareham Town Council gratefully acknowledges the following for their help in producing 

this Guide: Liz Roberts, Manager of the Discover Purbeck Information Centre, Mike O’Hara, Curator at Wareham Town Museum; 

Photos: Pam Bowyer-Davis (Wareham Camera Club), Town Clerk Rod Curtis. 

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the Wareham Town Guide is correct and neither Plus Publishing Services 

nor Wareham Town Council accept responsibility for any loss or inconvenience arising from any errors which may have occurred. 

Copyright: Plus Publishing Services, Sycamore House, Willesborough Industrial Park, Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent TN24 0NR 

Tel: 01233 643574 Fax: 01233 641816 Email: admin@pluspublishing.co.uk www.pluspublishing.co.uk 

2012–2013 5 

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Wareham has a wealth of unexpected surprises for the visitor. Walk 

the Saxon Walls, visit our local markets, learn about Wareham's 

connection with Lawrence of Arabia, enjoy the variety our local 

independent shops have to offer, watch a film at the unique Rex Cinema 

and much more. Why not start your journey of exploration by making 

your way to Wareham's Quay at the bottom of South Street where the 

River Frome has been delighting visitors for many years? 

The Quayside and Boating – The Quay was once the hub of 

Wareham. Ships arrived from the continent and unloaded their cargoes 

for distribution throughout the area. Nowadays the Quay is very lively 

in summer time with leisure sailors of all types taking advantage of the 

delightful river trip to and from Poole Harbour (tide permitting!). You 

too can take a boat trip on the River Frome or maybe hire your own 

rowing boat or motor boat from Abbott’s Quay. Another way to enjoy 

the quayside is simply by sitting in the sun enjoying the view or feeding Feeding the birds at Wareham Quay 

the ducks. 

River Walks – Wareham is a town of two rivers, the River Frome on 

the South side of the town and the River Piddle on the north side. 

Whatever your reason for visiting Wareham, why not linger a while and 

enjoy a riverside walk? Both rivers are easily accessible and a circular 

walking route is possible encompassing both rivers. Copies of the “Two 

Rivers Walk” route are available in the Discover Purbeck Information 

Centre in South Street. 

Abbots Quay: boats, river life, and 

more boats! 

Priory Meadow 

Terence Arden FRICS 

CHARTERED SURVEYOR 

Building Surveys, Homebuyer Surveys 

and Valuations for all purposes. 

Please telephone for further 

information and fee quotation. 

10 North Street Wareham Dorset BH20 4AF 

Tel: 01929 558252 Fax: 01929 558253 

e-mail: terence.arden@btinternet.com 

www.terenceardensurveyor.co.uk 

Enjoy Wareham 

Priory Meadow – Located just 

off the town centre, on the south 

side of the River Frome, a part 

of the natural water meadow 

has been restored by local 

volunteers as a conservation 

area. It has a short circular path 

for walking and wheelchair users 

plus stone benches, wildlife 

Information boards and a bird 

watching hide. A tranquil spot 

where all age groups can 

enjoy the wildlife habitat, Priory 

Meadow is always incorporated 

in Wareham’s ‘Britain in Bloom’ 

entry. www.wddt.org.uk/priory 

_meadow 

River Piddle and Water 

Meadows 

B. Curtis ltd 

High Class Family Butchers 

19 West Street, Wareham BH20 4JS 

Tel: Wareham (01929) 552478 www.bcurtis.co.uk 

Farm assured Aberdeenshire steer beef 

Local Purbeck pork and lamb 

Drug-free farm poultry Home/dry cured bacon and hams 

Home-made sausages and pies Full selection of cheeses 

Meat supplied for home freezers at discounted prices 

Also At C Hallett, 25 North Street, Wareham 

01929 552022 

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 

6 2012–2013


Saxon Walls –Wareham has Saxon ramparts, built to defend against 

Viking attacks, surrounding the historic town on three sides. The 

south side, where Wareham Castle was once situated, was protected 

by the River Frome. These walls are the best remaining example in 

England and can been seen as large earth mounds covered in grass. 

Paths on the walls give good views of the rivers and surrounding areas 

and a variety of wild flowers are encouraged – at their best in late 

spring and early summer. From North Walls there are views over the 

flood plain of the River Piddle towards Northport and beyond to the 

Wareham Forest. Below the North Walls, the River Piddle meanders 

across Wareham Common, the lush riverbank vegetation providing a 

perfect nesting habitat for water birds. The middle section of West 

Walls, adjacent to the car park, is known as Bloody Bank after a 

number of executions which took place there in bygone times. Enjoying a break at West Walls 

Leased from the Rempstone estate and managed by Purbeck District 

Council, the Walls won a national ‘Golden Apple’ environmental award in 2007. From July 2012 interpretation boards 

will be in place at various points along the walls. For further information and a leaflet on the ‘Walls Walk’, visit 

Discover Purbeck Information Centre in South Street or see the website: www.visitswanageandpurbeck.co.uk 

Town Pound – The Town Pound is part of Wareham’s rich history, being 

a Grade II listed building dating back to medieval times. It was built to hold 

stray or impounded farm animals which were not released until the owner 

had paid a fine. It is a small, walled enclosure with a gate situated at the end 

of Pound Lane where it joins West street, near the foot of the town walls. 

Students from the nearby Purbeck School have been working with 

Wareham District Development Trust to bring graphic “animals” back to 

the pound which will be mounted on metal poles within the pound at 

different levels to make a visually exciting display (Summer 2012). 

Town Pound 

WAREHAM 

DENTAL 

SURGERY 

Tel: 01929 552363 

We offer high quality dentistry 

for all the family in a 

relaxed and friendly 

environment 

Emergency treatment 

is available to patients 

of this practice 

16, West Street, 

Wareham BH20 4JX 

Escape from the Hurly Burly of this modern 

world and enjoy walks strolling through 20 acres 

of woods and Heathland around a magical Pool 

famous for its ever changing colours, with sandy 

paths that lead up to views of the Purbeck Hills 

and down steps to the waters edge. 

Come and marvel at the Wareham Bears over 200 miniature teddy 

bears.Charming Teahouse serving Morning Coffee, Delicious 

Cream Teas and Attractive Lunches. Dogs on leads welcome. 

Grounds open daily from 9.30am March until November 

Teahouse, Shops and Wareham Bears 

Daily from 10.00am Easter until end October 

Tel: 01929 551408 

Furzebrook, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5AR 

www.bluepooltearooms.co.uk 

2012–2013 7


Markets – Wareham has been a market town for over 500 years 

and its market has the accolade of two royal charters. Cottees 

Market in East Street was established in1907. Unique in Dorset, it 

has a Produce and Flower Auction, one of the last in Dorset held 

on Thursdays, and a fortnightly Antiques and Collectable auction on 

Tuesdays. Wareham also has a Farmers Market in the Town Hall on 

the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month and a Home Producers 

market every Thursday in the United Reformed Church Hall in 

Church Street. A very popular Saturday Street Market in the 

magnificent setting of Wareham’s historic Quay by the River Frome 

completes the picture – helping to keep Wareham a true Dorset 

market town! 

Saturday Street Market 

Churches – Wareham has several beautiful churches. The Parish 

Church of Lady St Mary near the Quay is said to have been built 

on the sight of an 8th century Minster church. It still boasts a 14th 

century chancel and a Tudor tower with a ring of 10 bells. It has a 

12th century lead font and other objects of interest and its annual 

flower festival in early August is always a stunning sight. The Church 

of St Martin on the Walls has a Saxon exterior and is the most 

complete Saxon church in Dorset – believed to date from around 

1020. St Martins is thought to have been founded by St Aldhelm in 

the 7th Century and possibly destroyed by King Cnut and rebuilt in 

1015. There are a series of wall paintings, the earliest of which was 

painted in the 12th century. After a period of disuse, the church was 

renovated to its current condition in 1936, a fitting place for the 

Church of St Martin on the Walls sculptured effigy of T E Lawrence by Eric Kennington. 

Rex Cinema – Situated in the Odd Fellows Hall in West Street. Built in 

1889, it has been a cinema since 1920, originally known as the Empire and 

later re-named the Rex. Possibly the oldest continuously operated 

independent cinema in the country, it seats 151 people. Amazingly, along 

with modern electric lighting, it still has its original gas lights – and double 

seats for couples in the back row! Films shown range from independent 

and ‘art’ films to the latest blockbusters and it is home to the well loved 

Rex Players drama group. A welcome addition in recent years has been the 

Rex Bar (where you may purchase a drink which you can take into the 

auditorium) and the Five and Dime Cafe attached to the cinema. For 

details of forthcoming films, see the website: www.therex.co.uk. The Rex is 

owned and managed by the Purbeck Film Charitable Trust Ltd who are 

responsible for the very successful Purbeck Film Festival held annually in 

October (Note 2012 Festival: 12th–27th Oct). 

Rex Cinema – home of the 

Rex Players 

Local Shops – Wareham has a large range of independent shops and 

retailers as well as two supermarkets. In Wareham you can still buy 

fresh meat at traditional butchers, superb cakes and freshly baked 

bread in our local bakers and source local cheese, fish and other 

produce. There are art and photographic galleries, fabric, craft and 

collectable shops as well as a traditional ironmongers, newsagents and 

florists. There are a range of pharmacists, hairdressers and a veterinary 

surgeon whilst professional services such as banks, solicitors, estate 

agents, dentists and a variety of other specialist shops complete the 

picture. Wareham’s Mobility shop has scooters and wheelchairs to 

assist in making Wareham accessible for all. 

Something for the weekend, sir? Wareham Town Museum – ‘A Great Little Museum.’ Tucked inside 

the Wareham Town Hall building in East Street is the small but 

fascinating Wareham Museum where there are displays and artefacts telling the story of the town – including its 

archaeology, geology, social and military history and Lawrence of Arabia collection. The Museum and its Museum 

Committee is supported by Wareham Town Council. A Curator and many unpaid volunteer ‘Friends of Wareham Town 

Museum’ have, over many years, built on a collection donated to the town by a local resident. This now forms a 

repository of a variety of material, and provides a valuable resource for students and researchers alike. 

8 2012–2013


Visitors from all over the world are drawn to the T E Lawrence exhibition, however there 

are many other features including Bronze Age, Roman and Saxon Wareham and Wareham 

in the Great War of 1914–1918. The Museum has recently featured very successful Family 

History Days and further projects are planned. From April until end of October 2012, the 

remains of a fascinating Saxon sword found in the River Frome in 1927 and possibly of royal 

origin, are on loan from the County Museum. The Museum aims equally to attract local 

residents and visitors, who are assured of an interesting and worthwhile visit. Admission 

free, 10 am to 4pm, opening Easter to October. Museum website: www.wtm.org.uk 

Lawrence plaque – 

Anglebury 

Restaurant/Cafe 

T E Lawrence – ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ – spent the last years 

of his life in the Wareham area, living at ‘Clouds Hill’ cottage, 

Moreton, near Bovington Camp where he served as a private 

soldier – before his untimely death in 1935 from injuries in a 

motorcycle accident. Wareham has a celebrated marble effigy 

of Lawrence by Eric Kennington in St Martins on the Walls 

Church, however he is buried in a cemetery located near to 

St Nicolas church in Moreton. Lawrence’s cottage is owned 

by the National Trust and is accessible to the public. He visited 

Wareham frequently to shop, using his favourite Brough 

Superior motor cycle, and he frequented the Anglebury 

Restaurant/Cafe in North Street. Here you may view a 

commemorative plaque in Lawrence’s old favourite window 

seat while you enjoy your Dorset cream tea! 

The Wareham Bears – After almost twenty years of wandering around southern 

England the community of over two hundred tiny bears has at long last come home to 

Wareham. In 1977 the Bears, created by Mary Hildesley, first moved into 18–22 Church 

Street and eventually opened to the public in 1981, where they attracted visitors from all 

around the world. The Wareham & District Development Trust purchased the collection in 

2011 and the Bears can now be seen at the Blue Pool. 

REPAIRLINE 

SERVICE AGENTS 

FOR ALL LEADING MAKES 

We sell and service all of the following: 

LCD/Plasma Screens 

DVD/Video Recorders 

Freeview Digital Receivers 

Aerial & Freesat Installations 

Hi-Fi Equipment 

Portable Radios 

Leads/Accessories 

www.TVs247.com 

TV VIDEO HIFI 

SALES & SERVICE 

Free Local Delivery and Installation on all Items over £100 

7 West Street, Wareham 

(Opposite The Red Lion) 

Tel: 01929 554692 

Local 

Long Distance 

Airports 

Competitive 

Friendly 

Reliable 

Professional Service 

Saxon Sword 

remains – Town 

Museum display 

2012 

The Wareham Bears 

01929 558119 

email: jurassiccabs@homecall.co.uk 

2012–2013 9


Discover Purbeck Information Centre 01929 552740 – 

To find out all about what you can see and do in Wareham and 

other places of interest in Purbeck, call into the new 

‘Discover Purbeck Information Centre’ which is located on the 

ground floor in Wareham Library. Combining the Library and 

Information Centre in the same building provides an improved 

service to both locals and visitors, promoting local culture and 

events to a wider audience. The staff will be delighted to help with 

enquiries about local transport, walking and cycling routes, eating 

out etc. National Express and Condor Ferries tickets can be 

purchased here as well as tickets for local events. Come and see 

the “secret garden”! www.visitswanageandpurbeck.co.uk 

Local attractions – Within a 5 mile radius of Wareham there are 

many and varied attractions, making Wareham itself an ideal base 

for exploring Purbeck: 

The Blue Pool, a turquoise jewel set in 25 acres of beautiful heathland, is now the new home of the Wareham Bears; 

Monkey World and the Tank Museum both provide an educational and exciting visitor experience; the ruins of Corfe 

Castle make a stunning backdrop to the picture postcard village which is also home to the Model Village, the Mineral 

& Mining Museum, and from where you can catch the steam train into Swanage; Arne, a picturesque and tranquil 

RSPB reserve; and for animal lovers within the family there is Farmer Palmers farm park and the Margaret Green 

animal sanctuary. 

FULLY QUALIFIED ENGINEERS 

FOR INSTALLATION, SERVICE 

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Don’t worry if your old alarm company has 

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01929 554145 

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R.U.Secure Systems Ltd, 1 Church Green, Wareham 

ESTABLISHED 1991 

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Happy to Help! Discover Purbeck and 

Wareham Library Staff 

10 2012–2013


Pack a Picnic and Enjoy a 

Day out in and around Wareham 

Start your walk at the Quay 

Walk Wareham’s Saxon Walls: The Walls, originally built by the 

Saxons to defend the town against attacks by the Vikings, now form the 

route of the Walls Walk Path, along which you will see plentiful flowers 

and butterflies and enjoy superb views across the River Piddle towards 

Wareham Forest. Start and finish your walk at the Town Quay to watch 

the boats, feed the ducks and enjoy your picnic. 

Explore Wareham Forest: Enjoy the peace and tranquility of a walk 

or cycle along the waymarked paths of the Sika Trail. Appreciate the 

contrast between the open heathland and the pine forest, looking out for 

woodland and heathland birds, mammals and insects. There are picnic 

tables near the car park. 

Further afield, you may wish to visit: 

RSPB Arne: Follow the trails through the farm, or down through the woods to Shipstal 

Point with views across Poole Harbour or back towards Corfe Castle and the Purbeck 

Hills. Have a paddle at the harbour's edge and visit the hides to see the wading birds and 

deer on the salt marshes. 

Margaret Green Animal Rescue Centre, Church Knowle: Visit the animals looking 

for new homes including cats, rabbits and guinea pigs as well as farm animals, and picnic 

in some of Dorset's most beautiful scenery. 

Kimmeridge: Look for fossils and search the rock pools in the Purbeck Marine Wildlife 

Reserve, making sure to visit the Marine Centre to learn all about this sheltered bay. You 

can see Clavell Tower and the very first “Nodding Donkey” oil well in Purbeck. Small 

charge for the toll road. 

Tyneham Village School 

KINGSTON COUNTRY COURTYARD 

CHARACTER FARMSTEAD ACCOMMODATION 

Kingston, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5LR 

Tel: 01929 481066 Contact: Bobbie Brown 

relax@kingstoncountrycourtyard.com 

Web: www.kingstoncountrycourtyard.com 

Situated high in the Purbeck Hills, Kingston 

Country Courtyard offers unique B&B in spacious 

bedrooms in a courtyard setting 

Grounds and gardens open to guests 

Open January to December 

Rooms: single, double, twin, family – all en suite 

All rooms have colour televisions 

& tea/coffee facilities 

Cycling in Wareham 

Forest 

Tyneham Village & Worbarrow Bay: Explore the ‘deserted village that 

time forgot’, see the school as it was in 1943, visit the houses and see who 

lived there. Take a stroll down to the bay and enjoy superb views of the 

Jurassic Coast. NB: accessible only when the army ranges are open. 

Walk the Smugglers’ Ways: Take the path from Worth Matravers to 

Winspit quarries on the coast, then walk east to Seacombe and the hidden 

coves, all once popular haunts of smugglers. Take the route back inland to 

the Square and Compass pub and visit their Fossil Museum. 

PURBECK 

Pets & Equestrian 

8 West Street, Wareham, Dorset. 

Telephone 01929 552568 

For horse, pet & poultry feed. 

Also riding clothes, frontline, wormers 

Home deliveries available 

2012–2013 11


Wareham Town Council – 

Working for Wareham 

Wareham Town Council was formed after local government re-organisation in 

1974 when Purbeck District Council took over many of the powers of the 

former Borough of Wareham. The Council is a parish council with the right to 

be called a Town Council, has 16 Councillors who represent all parts of the 

town and currently there 4,577 registered electors. Elections are held every 

four years with the next election scheduled for May 2015. Town Council 

meetings are held in the Town Hall every six weeks on Tuesday evenings at 

7.00 pm, the public are welcome to attend and may speak on any topic relating 

to the Town at the discretion of the Mayor. 

Town Mayors 

Wareham has a long tradition of Town Mayors stretching back to 1336. Every 

name to date is recorded on panels in the Council Chamber, the Town Mayor 

being elected annually in May at a special ‘Mayor Making’ Council meeting. A 

historic book is kept to record Mayors’ names since 1703, witnessed by 

Councillors. The proceedings in the Council Chamber feature the Sergeant at 

Mace bearing the splendid Town Mace given to Wareham in the reign of James 

1st. Two Constables from Wareham’s historic Court Leet also bear their own 

symbols of authority, a pair of two-metre wooden staves dating from 1778, kept 

in the Chamber. 

It is thought that very few Councils can trace their Mayors back as far as 1336 Wareham Town Hall 

– although the Wareham names were almost lost forever! Prior to 1703, a town 

steward/recorder named Nathaniel Child absconded to London with most of the Town’s records, including a book 

recording past Mayors’ names. He then attempted to blackmail the town for a large sum of money, effectively saying “pay 

up or the records will be destroyed”. Payment was refused and the records promptly disappeared. The name panels 

were made up later, from local records which still existed before they were destroyed in the Great Fire of Wareham in 

1762, although there are many gaps before 1703. 

Most of the Council’s business is overseen by various Committees appointed by the Council. The powers and duties of 

these Committees are set out below: 

Policy, Resources and Finance Committee 

Council policy, resources and general financial decisions, including the annual budget setting process, borrowing and 

investments, financial regulations, land and property (leases, rents, disposal etc), legal proceedings, public relations, 

tourism, standing orders, grant applications, and generally advises Town Council on policy matters. It considers all other 

matters not within the purview of any other committee. 

Amenities Committee 

Management of the Town Hall and other land/premises, Wareham Recreation Ground, four play areas, open spaces, 

allotment matters, rights of way, Howards Lane car park, public seats, war memorial, street lighting, arts and 

entertainment, litter/environmental issues, shelters, signs. 

Planning and Transport Committee 

Consideration of all planning applications within the Town area and transport matters including liaison with Dorset 

County Council on highway and traffic regulation orders, parking and traffic calming, local and strategic plans, all other 

highway matters. 

Museum Committee 

Looks after all things connected with the Town Museum: acquisitions, exhibitions, projects, policy, finance, accreditation 

issues, volunteer support. 

Wareham in Bloom Committee 

All aspects of Wareham in Bloom e.g. fundraising and sponsorship, floral display contracts, community involvement, 

environmental matters, recycling, local Wareham In Bloom and allotments competitions and annual awards, roundabout 

enhancements and entry into the annual South/South East in Bloom Competition. 

12 2012–2013


Human Resources Panel 

Responsibility for all staff matters including recruitment and training (meetings not open to the public). 

A number of Working Parties may also contribute to Council business e.g. Premises, Standing Orders, Internal Audit and 

Diamond Jubilee Working Parties, reporting directly to committees. 

Looking after our Town and its Heritage 

Wareham Town Council has supported a number of initiatives in the town, 

including highways, traffic regulation and public safety matters. The Council works 

closely with the Purbeck Police authority and the Wareham Safer Neighbourhood 

Team. Six CCTV cameras have been installed with Council support plus new 

ANPR cameras in 2011 at the A351 flyover on North Causeway. The Council 

maintains cultural and sporting links with twin towns Hemsbach in Germany and 

Conches-En-Ouches in France. Wareham’s mayor also donated £5000 from a 

former mayor’s legacy to help preserve the Rex Cinema for future generations as 

a charitable trust. 

The Town Hall’s historic exterior dating from 1870 has been completely Mayor’s Book 

refurbished following a survey report, then totally redecorated inside. The Council 

Chamber (first floor) is usually open to visitors during the mornings of Architectural Heritage Week in early September 

and can be combined with a trip to the Museum on the ground floor. Ask to see the Mayor’s Book – a fascinating record 

of life in Wareham for over 300 years! 

The Council is proud to have completely replaced all of its four play areas since 2004, either with grant funding, its own 

capital resources or a mixture of both. A newly re-surfaced multi-use games area will open at its Recreation Ground in 

June 2012, thanks to a grant from the Viridor Landfill Communities Fund. 

Website – the Town Council’s first website went online in 2007 and now forms a very effective communication tool 

for the electorate and for casual visitors. A version of this tourist guide is downloadable from the website: 

See www.wareham-tc.gov.uk 

T Kent Property Services 

Plumbing and Heating Engineers 

Your friendly local plumbing and heating engineer. 

From tap washers to new heating systems no job too small. 

Gas boilers, fires, cookers, water heaters serviced and 

installed 

Landlord gas safety certificates 

Central Heating installation 

Bathrooms, showers, kitchens, all plumbing jobs 

Free estimates 

Telephone Terry at 

Bere Regis on 01929 472022 

Mobile 07981 887296 

www.plumbfu.co.uk 214172 

2012–2013 13


Working in Partnership The Town Council works in partnership with 

Purbeck District Council and Dorset County Council on many matters 

affecting the town, and there are Council representatives on a large range of 

community bodies. 

Donations The Town Council normally supports by donations (grants) the 

local Father Christmas and Christmas Lights Committees, the Wareham 

Carnival, and many other community groups which are perceived to benefit 

Wareham residents in some way e.g. the Citizens Advice Bureau. See 

www.wareham-tc.gov.uk for a downloadable grant application. 

Bookings The Town Council takes bookings for the Recreation Ground Wedding in Council Chamber 

(cricket and football pitches and croquet lawn), the use of the Corn Exchange situated in the Town Hall for jumble sales, 

farmers markets, meetings etc, and for use of the Council Chamber for meetings, weddings and civil partnerships. Tel: 

01929 553006 for Admin Staff. 

Weddings/Civil Partnerships Many happy couples have ‘tied the knot’ at the Town Hall. The historic Council 

Chamber is licensed for weddings and civil partnerships and the Corn Exchange may also be booked for your reception. 

Full details: Tel: Town Hall 01929 553006. 

AllotmentsThe Town Council ensures that allotments are provided for 

local residents, at Northmoor and Bestwall – see Clubs and Societies 

section of this Guide for contact details. 

Working for Local Democracy In 2005, the Council adopted the 

Wareham Community Plan as the cornerstone of its policies and still 

works to implement all aspects of what local residents said they wanted 

for their town. With the help of community organisations and volunteers 

the Council is totally committed to Wareham and works to achieve these 

aims. If YOU want to get involved as a community volunteer – or a 

Bestwall Allotment Site councillor if there is a vacancy – please let us know! 

Wareham Town Council: Telephone 01929 553006 (Administration Office) 

● ● ● 

Sports and Leisure in Wareham 

Wareham has a wealth of sports and leisure facilities. Flourishing 

sports clubs include Wareham Cricket Club, Wareham Rangers 

Football Club, Wareham and District Swimming Club and Swanage 

and Wareham Rugby Club. Wareham Town Council’s Recreation 

Ground at Worgret Road currently provides football, cricket and 

croquet pitches for hire, a large children’s play area and a sports 

pavilion for changing/toilet facilities. In June 2012, a newly resurfaced 

multi-use games area for basketball and 5-a-side football will open for 

free use by the public, replacing a redundant tennis court at this site. 

Rugby is catered for at the town’s Rugby Club playing fields in 

Bestwall Road and Karate lessons are currently held on Thursday 

nights at the Town Hall. 

Rugby at Bestwall 

The Purbeck Sports Centre, on the Purbeck School campus in 

Worgret Road features a multitude of facilities: 25m public swimming pool, gym, sauna, and sports hall with badminton, 

football, cricket, tennis, squash and hockey facilities, grass and astro pitches, opportunities for childrens’ holiday activities, 

parties and a crèche. The licensed All Stars Bar and Cafe offers drinks, snacks and meals and a splendid terrace with views 

to the Purbeck Hills/Corfe Castle. With a full view of the pool, you can have a coffee and watch your child have a 

swimming lesson or enjoy the large plasma TV screen showing Sky sports events. Wareham Town Council’s four superb 

play areas in the town complete the picture – so there is no excuse for all age groups not getting some form of exercise! 

See centre page map for locations of all sites mentioned. 

14 2012–2013


OYEZ! Wareham Town Crier and 

Town Criers Competition 

In 2007 Wareham Town Council recruited the first Town Crier for 

many years and the ancient art of town crying was revived. 

Originally a way of communicating news when most people could 

not read a newspaper, a notice or broadsheet, the Town Crier 

these days performs a very different and largely ceremonial role. 

Town Crier and local resident Jacquie Hall works hard to promote 

Wareham at many civic and other functions – a true ambassador 

for the town. 

Wareham has its own Town Criers Competition, an annual event 

with funding gratefully received from Wareham Town Council. In 

2012, the event will take place on Saturday 14th July and in 2013 it 

is likely to be on Saturday July 13th (to be confirmed). Starting off 

at 10.30 am a colourful parade of traditionally dressed Criers and 

their escorts, with bells ringing, makes its way from the Town Hall 

to the South Bridge before dispersing to the performance area on 

the south bank of the River Frome. Criers perform in two heats: 

Ring those bells! 

a Home Town Cry in the morning and a Cry of Jacquie’s choice in 

the afternoon. As Host Crier, Jacquie does not compete but keeps her voice in good trim with her own Wareham 

cry. The cries are interesting and usually very humorous, can’t keep a good Crier down – they even cry in the rain! 

– so why not come along to the Frome, take a programme and listen to Criers from all over the South and West? 

Dorset’s oldest and largest animal welfare charity, 

rescuing and rehoming over 1,000 animals 

throughout Dorset and Devon each year. 

Every penny of every pound donated goes 

directly towards animal welfare. 

Church Knowle Animal Sanctuary and 

Visitor Centre, Wareham, BH20 5NQ – 

Come and meet the animals – 

FREE admission – Gift shop and tea room 

Boarding Kennels and Cattery available 

Tel 01929 470 484 or Email 

ck@margaretgreenanimalrescue.org.uk 

www.margaretgreenanimalrescue.org.uk 

● ● ● 

SERVICING 

REPAIRS 

MOTs 

Visit us and 

be sure that 

your wheels 

are ready to roll! 

J.T. MOT CENTRE 

CLASS 4 (Cars) & 7 (Vans) MOT TEST CENTRE 

Wareham Road Holton Heath 

Call 01202 624770/632122 

www.jtcommercials.co.uk 

ALSO A LARGE SELECTION OF USED 

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FOR SALE 

WE CAN COLLECT AND DELIVER 

NO JOB TOO SMALL – CALL NOW 

Mob: 07900 895909 

2012–2013 15


Diamond Jubilee 2012 

and Olympic Flame Relay 

Come and celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a Jubilee Big Lunch Party on Monday 4th June 2012. 

Where? Howards Lane car park (closed for the day), from mid-day to 5pm. Bring your own food/soft drinks, tables 

and chairs are provided plus free teas/coffees/cake and free entertainment. Includes DJ/music from across six decades, 

Morris dancing, childrens’ fancy dress competition, giant musical chairs, sea shanty group, local young talent and a 

Grand Parade featuring arrival of the ‘Queen and Duke’ at 3pm! Continue the fun at Wareham Quay from 6pm with 

fun events, Jubilee fireworks and lighting of Wareham’s Jubilee Beacon at 10.26 pm exactly. 

On Friday 13th July 2012, Wareham will celebrate a once in a lifetime opportunity as the Olympic Flame Relay passes 

through en route to Poole and Bournemouth. Starting at Land's End on 19th May, 8,000 torchbearers will carry the 

flame to the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium, London. Purbeck’s relay runners 

will carry the flame from Swanage to Corfe Castle and on to Stoborough, arriving at the South Causeway at 2.21 

pm, then via the South Bridge through Wareham Town Centre to North Street at 2.35 pm. Fancy a bit 

of street lining and flag waving to cheer them on? We’ll see you there! Stay around – this is followed by fun events, music, 

stalls, beacon lighting and fireworks on the Quay starting at around 5pm, courtesy of Wareham Carnival. London’s 

2012 Olympics begin on July 27th, with Weymouth staging the sailing events. 

● ● ● 

Wareham Wednesdays – Mid-week Fun 

In 2011, a new community organisation in Wareham began to make a big impact. 

Called ‘Wareham Wednesdays’, its aim is to stage events every Wednesday night 

for six weeks during the summer season for our many visitors and our own 

residents. Holidaymakers! Looking for somewhere to go on a Wednesday night? 

Try Wareham! All events take place in the town centre and on the Quay with 

live bands, food stalls etc and usually end in fireworks. On 25th July 2012, 

a special Great Fire of Wareham 250th anniversary commemoration will take 

place (with raft race, models of Wareham in 1762, a beacon and fireworks) while 

other events are planned on 1st August (pram race), 8th August (tug of war), 15th 

August (It’s a Knockout), 22nd August (food and beerfest) and 29 August 

(summer finale with firework spectacular). We’ll also be back in 2013! Website: 

http://warehamwednesdays.co.uk 

● ● ● 

Wareham Town Band 

Fireworks at Wareham 

Wednesdays 

Wareham has a thriving volunteer Town Band with its roots in the many village 

bands which existed up to the mid 19th century which were made up of a 

variety of large wind instruments. These bands were originally formed to 

provide music for church services before organs were commonplace, apart 

from providing music for other village events. The Town Band contains a number 

of brass and reed instruments, indicating that it pre-dates many other bands in 

the Purbeck area, most of which were formed around the 1860s as brass bands. 

In 1855 the Dorset Chronicle reported the Wareham Town Band leading a 

procession of carts carrying children back from the annual church outing 

to Stoborough. These days, the carts may be gone, but the Band can still 

be heard playing at fetes, the annual Wareham Carnival, civic parades 

including the Annual Civic Service and Remembrance Sunday Parade, at the Wareham Town Band 

Quay and on occasional Sunday afternoons at local bandstands. The Band played 

at the new Wareham Music Festival in 2009 and has been welcomed back every year since. Band practice nights are 

held weekly at the United Reformed Church, new members are always welcome – for further details see website: 

www.warehamtownband.co.uk 

16 2012–2013


Wareham Carnival – Fun for All! 

Wareham Carnival is a long standing event in July, when the whole 

town comes together to celebrate Wareham and its community. 

Always guaranteed fun, day and night, with plenty of entertainment 

for all, Carnival Week in 2012 runs from 9th to 15th July, with the 

theme of ‘Torches and Town Fires’ relevant to two memorable 

events: the Olympic Torch Relay - passing through Wareham on 13th 

July – and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Great 

Fire of Wareham in 1762. On 13th July, from 5pm at the Quay, 

Carnival presents fun events, stalls, music, a flaming beacon – and 

fireworks! 

Main event is the Carnival Procession on Sunday through the town 

centre featuring colourful floats organised by many local groups. 

Carnival Procession 

Judging takes place for the highly sought after ‘Best Float’ award plus 

‘Best Youth’ and ‘Best Walking’ entry. Competition is fierce but you too can be a winner. However big or small your 

group why not take up the challenge and enter? The procession finishes on the Quay for the famous Wareham Duck 

Race and the Dog Race (across the River Frome!), Boat Race and Inflatable Race. Other main events during the week 

include Film Night, Kludo Murder Mystery Night around the pubs and the celebrated Golden Bridge Awards/Fun 

Casino in the Town Hall – a glitzy affair to honour, amongst others, our local traders. 

Carnival's main aim is raising money for charities, groups and organisations within the Wareham area while providing 

an opportunity to come together and have a good time. We hope you will all be able to join us during Carnival week 

and raise a glass to the wonderful community groups who make Wareham so special. The Carnival Committee thanks 

everyone for their support over the years. Further details: please see website: www.wareham-carnival.org.uk 

● ● ● 

2012–2013 17


We Will Rock You! 

Wareham Music Festival 

Stuck for something to do in Purbeck in late summer? In 2012 the popular 

Annual Wareham Music festival, organised by a group of Wareham volunteers, 

will again provide a major attraction over the August Bank Holiday from Friday 

24th to Sunday 26th. Plans for the Festival are well advanced, fundraising is 

ongoing and we are confident that Wareham will be rocking with a variety of 

music to suit everyone. Purbeck already has an excellent reputation for music 

and arts events of all kinds and our aim is to put Wareham firmly on the map. 

A range of venues are planned to showcase the music, with the spotlight on 

local talent, including all of Wareham’s pubs, its restaurants, the Town Hall, and 

the Parish Hall. All culminating in a musical spectacular with several bands on 

stage at the Quay on Sunday afternoon and evening. In the words of Mr Kite 

– “A splendid time is guaranteed for all”! 

Many thanks to numerous local businesses who sponsor the Festival. Backed 

by the Chamber of Trade, the Discover Purbeck Information Centre and fully 

supported by Wareham Town Council, the vast majority of events are totally 

free. But we can’t do it unless YOU, the public, give us your support too - so 

please don’t ignore our donation buckets! Just a pound from each visitor 

makes all the difference, guarantees that we pay the bands and that we will be 

back again in 2013. With music from blues to country, rock to folk, easy 

listening to indie, folk dancing, brass bands, individual performers, poetry and performance events – how can you 

resist? Come on down to Wareham Town – we WILL rock you! Details: see website – www.wareham-music.org.uk 

18b South Street Wareham 

01929 554368 

maggie@notjusthats.co.uk 

www.notjusthats.co.uk 

Large selection of summer and winter hats 

Pashminas and Scarves for all seasons 

Beach goods Inc towels, glasses, sun cream, 

and flip-flops Fascinators made to order 

Post cards Greeting cards 

Fridge magnets Wareham Tea 

towels and mugs Soft toys 

Silver, Amber and fashion Jewellery 

Pure wool and suede Moccasins 

Lots of other gifts and souvenirs 

Large section of willow baskets for 

shopping, garden, home and storage 

Our Stock Changes with the Seasons. 

Japaneze Maples in the Spring 

& early Summer. 

● ● ● 

Headlining local band 

Voodoo Vegas 

REX HAWKINS 

Domestic Appliance 

Repairs Spares Sales 

Trinity Lane, 

Wareham BH20 4LN 

Tel: (01929) 550234 

18 2012–2013

Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 

on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty’s 

Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright 100041368 

Town Hall/ 

Wareham 

Town 

Council 

Wareham St Mary 

First School 

M.U.G.A 

WAREHAM 

TOWN CENTRE

PURBECK 

AND 

WAREHAM 

WINDOWS 

& FASCIAS 

FOR ALL YOUR 

PVCU NEEDS 

* WINDOWS * DOORS * 

* CONSERVATORIES * 

*FASCIA & GUTTERING * 

* SEALED UNITS * 

QUALITY WORKMANSHIP 

AT LOW PRICES 

A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS 

Hurry Do Not Miss Our 

Summer Sale Discounts 

FOR A FREE QUOTATION 

CALL US TODAY ON 

TEL: 01929 556136 

MOB: 07754 289061 

INSURANCE BACKED 

GUARANTEE 

OPTICRON * VIKING 

RSPB * OSTARA 

VISIONARY 

BINOCULARS IN 

PURBECK 

From £12.99 - £499 

‘DORSET’S ONLY 

SPECIALIST 

OPTICAL RETAILER’ 

- Try before you buy - 

Advice given by informed 

staff, 50 years in optics 

importing/retail 

THE BINOCULAR 

SHOP WAREHAM 

Has once again been able 

to secure a small quantity of 

Bird Fair ex-demo stock - 

Saving you £££’s 

Please call in: 

6 WEST STREET 

WAREHAM 

or phone: 

01929 554171 

OPTICRON * VIKING 

RSPB * OSTARA 

VISIONARY 

TO DORCHESTER 

SWANAGE AND CORFE 

PURBECK 

SPORTS CENTRE 

HARDY ROAD 

CAUSEWAY 

BARNES RD 

O STOBOROUGH 

AND ARNE 

PURBECK 

SCHOOL 

SHIRLEY ROAD 

FROME 

ROAD 

STO W ELL CRESCENT 

PURBECK DISTRICT POLICE 

COUNCIL 

LOWER 

WESTPORT 

RIVER 

FROME 

The Only Steak Restaurant in Town 

Tel: 01929 554953 

59 North Street, Wareham BH20 4AD 

THE QUAY 

WORGET ROAD 

E N C OMBE ROAD 

QUAY 

SOUTH STREET 

P i 

WC 

WESTPORT 

ROAD 

TANNERS LANE 

CHURCH 

GREEN 

Priory 

FIRE 

LAW 

COURTS 

Fiddlers 

Green 

ABBOTS 

LIBRARY 

POUND LANE 

P 

WAREHAM COMMON 

RECREATION GROUND 

MONMOUTH ROAD 

P 

WEST STREET 

TRINIT Y LANE 

ST JOHNS HILL 

CHURCH STREET 

LANE 

CHURCH 

LANE 

CONNINGAR 

PLAY 

AREA 

STRECHE ROAD 

TOWN 

HALL/ 

MUSEUM 

WYATTS LANE 

EAST WALLS 

WEST WALLS 

NEW 

STREET 

LANE 

BESTWALL 

CRESCENT 

Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 

on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty’s 

Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright 100041368 

WAREHAM LADY ST MARY FIRST SCHOOL 

MIDDLE SCHOOL 

WAREHAM HOSPITAL 

COW LANE 

ST MICHAEL’S 

ROAD 

CHURCH 

MILL LANE 

EAST STREET 

COURT 

NORTH STREET 

HOWARDS 

P 

BESTWALL ROAD 

PO 

P 

TINKERS LANE 

ROPERS LANE 

MILL LANE 

DOLLINS 

LANE 

BONNETTS LANE 

LANE 

THE 

CROFT 

HEALTH CENTRE 

Bloody Bank 

CARRION 

CLOSE 

MORETONS LANE 

BELLS ORCHARD 

LANE 

COOPERS 

BRIXEYS 

LANE 

RIVER PIDDLE 

SAXON TOWN WALL 

ALLOTMENTS 

WAREHAM BY-PASS 

SHATTERS HILL PLEASANT 

ST MARTIN’S LANE 

NORTH BESTWALL ROAD 

WAREHAM RUGBY CLUB 

WAREHAM COMMON 

MOUNT 

FOLLY LANE 

CRESC E N T 

EDWAR D 

WAREHAM 

COMMON 

CLOSE 

C 

LEANN 

BUSINES 

PARK 

WAREH 

TOWN MA 

J. Spiller & Sons Ltd 

BUILDING CONTRACTORS 

Telephone: 01929 552948 

FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, REFURBISHMENT AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE

AUSEWAY 

WESSEX OVAL 

P 

ST 

MARY’S 

CLOSE 

WEST MILL CRESCENT 

WALLS VIEW ROAD 

CLOSE 

HIBBS 

CAREY 

CLOSE 

AREY LANE 

ROAD 

NORTH CAUSEWAY 

PO 

E 

S ANGLEBURY 

BUSINESS 

PARK 

JUSTIN 

BUSINESS 

PARK 

CAREY ROAD 

JOHNS 

HUMBER CHASE 

MELSTOCK CRESCENT 

CAREY ROAD 

PRESTON 

CLOSE 

RYAN 

RYAN 

BUSINESS 

PARK 

INDUSTRIAL 

ESTATE RECYCLING 

CENTRE 

WESTMINSTER ROAD 

MISTOVER ROAD 

CLOSE 

THE 

MEWS 

EGDON 

ROAD 

BERE ROAD 

TANTINOBY LANE 

DRIVE 

AVON 

OLD SANDFORD ROAD 

DRAX AVENUE 

WILLOW 

NORTHMOOR WAY 

WAY 

DRIVE 

DANIEL DRIVE 

SHERFORD DRIVE 

TRENT 

BOURNE 

DRIVE 

N ORTHPORT DRIVE 

HAUSES FIELD 

COMMUNITY 

PARKLAND 

RAILWAY PLAY AREA 

STATION 

AM 

P 

HEIRLOOMS of WAREHAM 

21 SOUTH STREET WAREHAM BH20 4LR 01929 554207 

www.heirloomsofwareham.co.uk 

Specialists in the sale and repair of antique & modern jewellery & silverwares. 

Full repair service to clocks & watches. Stockists of Rotary watches. 

CAREY APPROACH 

SANDFORD LANE 

CAREY 

HALL 

PLAY 

AREA 

PLAY 

AREA 

SHERFORD 

CLOSE 

NORTHPORT DRIVE COURTENAY 

WAY 

ADMIRAL’S 

BERE 

MIDDLE 

NORDEN 

STOUR DRIVE 

DRIVE 

WELLSTEAD 

NORTHMOOR WAY 

Unit 9, Leanne Business Centre, Sandford Lane, 

Wareham BH20 4DY Telephone: 01929552692 

*We are on the Sandford Lane Industrial Park. Follow signs for the 

Sandford Lane Industrial Park and Wareham Train station. The Leanne 

Business Centre is on the right 200 yards after the train station.* 

ROAD 

CLOSE 

DRIVE 

STOCKLEY 

ROAD 

TO WAREHAM FOREST 

AND BERE REGIS 

FAIRWAY 

BURNS 

ROAD 

DRIVE 

ALLOTMENTS 

N 

SEVEN BARROWS 

TARRANT 

DRIVE 

ROAD 

NORTHMOOR WAY 

GREAT 

OVENS 

DRIVE 

WAREHAM 

GOLF CLUB 

TO POOLE 

AND BOURNEMOUTH 

SANDFORD ROAD 

KEY 

i INFORMATION CENTRE 

PO POST OFFICE 

P PARKING 

PLACE OF WORSHIP 

LOCAL AMENITIES 

PLAY AREA 

Opening Hours: 8:30-6:30pm Monday to 

Friday and Saturdays 8:30am-1pm 

Consultations by appointment 

Monday to Saturday 

For further information and special offers 

visit our website: www.lynwoodvets.co.uk 

“Caring for the pets of Dorset since 1935” 

1 West Street 

01929 551 594 

Delicious 

Bread, Cakes, 

Savouries 

Filled Rolls 

Made and Baked 

in our Bakery 

Why not visit our shops at 

10 Hardye Arcade, 

Dorchester 

7-9 Station Road, 

Swanage 

12 Gr. George Street, 

Weymouth 

The Cross, Wool 

Stewart’s 

House of Fabric 

Quality fabrics 

Dressmaking 

& patterns 

Made to measure 

Alterations & repair 

Curtain making 

Haberdashery 

Lessons & 

Workshops 

Sewing machines 

Sale & Hire 

24 North Street, 

Wareham, Dorset 

BH20 4AG 

01292 551 191 

quality@.... www.... 

stewartshouseoffabric.co.uk 

Open Monday to Saturday 

9.30am to 5.00pm

Food 

& 

Drink 

IN WAREHAM 

The Kings Arms 

41 NORTH STREET WAREHAM BH20 4AD 

Tel: 01929 552503 

Awarded CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011 

A 16th Century Thatched Inn serving 

Traditional Real Ales & Real Food 

Delicious home cooked meals & desserts 

Choice of four award winning real ales 

Large beer garden 

Wi-Fi access 


The Five and Dime Cafe 

Breakfasts, Light Lunches and 

Afternoon Tea 

Secret Garden! 

8.00-4.00pm 

Closed Wednesday, 

Open Sunday 8am-1.00pm Summer 

Tel 01929 550855 

14 WEST STREET, WAREHAM, DORSET 

THE 

QUAYSIDE 

BARN 

THE QUAY, WAREHAM, DORSET BH20 4LP 

01929 552735 

ICE CREAM PARLOUR COFFEE BAR 

Beautiful Riverside Setting 

Delicious Ice Cream Sundaes 

Milk Shakes/Smoothies Homemade Cakes 

Available for functions 

22 2012–2013


THE 

SILENT WOMAN INN 

Have you visited within the last 10 years 

or has The Silent Woman Inn become 

a distant, not very pleasant memory? 

During the last 10 years things have been 

happening in Coldharbour. Quietly, 

stealthily and unobtrusively The Silent 

Woman Inn has been evolving. 

Once unloved, with constantly changing 

managers, The Silent Woman Inn was in slow decline. All that changed in 

November 2002 when Richard and Denise Bell became the proprietors. 

Within weeks it was obvious that the heart was 

returning and The Silent Woman was, once 

again, in the safe hands that it deserved. 

We pride ourselves on the excellent service 

of quality ales, wines and food. Designing 

our menus around exceptional local 

suppliers enables us to accommodate 

most dietary requirements. 

Our beautiful gardens and patios are a haven for families, allowing adults 

alone to enjoy the tranquillity offered inside. 

We are also fully licensed 

for Weddings and Civil 

Ceremonies. 

Ten years and 

onwards! 

The Silent Woman Inn: Tradition at its best!! 

THE SILENT WOMAN INN 

COLDHARBOUR, WAREHAM, DORSET BH20 7PA 

www.thesilentwoman.co.uk 

Tel: 01929 552909 

2012–2013 23

Traditional Historic Riverside Pub 

Serving Home Cooked Food 

Award winning Steaks and 

Daily caught Fish 

Fine selection of Real Ales and Beers 

Regular live music 

Quality Bed and Breakfast available 

Booking advisable 

01929 552735 

www.thequayinn.com 

THE QUAY INN, THE QUAY, 

WAREHAM, DORSET BH20 4LP 


Food 

& 

Drink 

IN WAREHAM 

Oriental Restaurant & Bar 

The Gurkha - 

fabulous food, be it Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, 

Indian, Nepalese or Singaporean 

an unrivalled setting, whatever the weather 

Opening Hours:- Monday - Sunday 

Lunch 12noon - 3.00pm Dinner 6.00pm - 11.00pm 

Sandford Rd, Sandford, Wareham, Dorset BH20 7AD 

Tel: 01929 556959 www.thegurkha.co.uk 

RAJPOOT TANDOORI 

Restaurant & Takeaway 

Friendly atmosphere 

& established 23 years 

Private Functions for up to 60 people 

& also outside catering available 

Open 7 days a week 

Lunch Times 12noon - 2.30pm 

Evenings 6pm - 11.30pm 

& 12midnight Fridays & Saturdays 

Closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day 

“We only ever use the freshest & finest ingredients” 

39 North Street, Wareham BH20 4AD 

01929 554603 

24 2012–2013


Early history 

Wareham is a place of some antiquity. Located on a peninsula of high 

ground running west to east and flanked by two rivers - the Piddle to the 

north and the Frome to the south - the location has provided a natural 

refuge throughout history. There is evidence of a Bronze Age settlement 

3,500 years ago. After the conquest of Britain in 43 AD, the Romans 

exploited the local resources and developed a pottery industry in and 

around Wareham, distributing the characteristic black burnished pots all 

over Roman Britain. Some examples have even been found as far afield Iron Age Pottery, Wareham Museum 

as Hadrian’s Wall. 

Saxon Wareham – King Alfred, Vikings and the Wareham Walls 

In Victorian times it was strongly believed that Wareham was a Roman Town. Despite 

plenty of Roman pottery, however, very few military items have been discovered. 

After thorough archaeological explorations of the West Wall in the 1950s, it was 

concluded that Wareham was not Roman but Saxon. The remains of a Saxon sword, 

possibly in royal ownership, were found by the South Bridge in the Frome in 1927. 

The sword points to Wareham’s past as a major Saxon settlement. In 2012 a modern 

re-creation of a Saxon sword was placed in Purbeck stone at the new ‘Saxon 

Roundabout’ on the northern approach to the town as a Wareham in Bloom project. 

Saxon sword at Wareham’s 

Saxon Roundabout 

Wine and Dine in Wareham 

Wareham has an amazing variety of places to eat and drink. From picturesque 

pubs to rustic restaurants, so many to choose from that it can be very hard 

to decide when choosing where to eat, whether it is a special occasion, casual 

supper, lunchtime snack or cream tea. There are restaurants and pubs 

specialising in home cooked menus using local produce and serving locally 

brewed ales. Enjoy freshly made scones and cakes in our cafes and tea rooms. 

Wareham also has Indian, Chinese – why not sit and eat them on the picnic 

area opposite the Quay? 

If you are looking to source some excellent local produce for a tasty homecooked 

meal, or a ready-made picnic, look no further than the markets, held 

Red Lion Hotel and Restaurant 

weekly on Thursday and Saturday and the Farmers Market (2nd and 4th 

Thursday every month). Wareham has superb local butchers, bakers and delicatessens where you can purchase local 

farmed meat, locally caught fish, delicious home-baked bread and cold meats and cheeses including the famous Dorset 

Blue Vinney. 

Wareham was very proud to achieve Fairtrade Town status in 2005, and participates every year in Fairtrade Fortnight, 

helping farmers and their communities to obtain a fair price for their produce. 

● ● ● 

Wareham – From Bronze Age 

Settlement to Modern Town 

Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, waves of Germanic 

tribes began to invade Britain. Almost all of southern England became Saxon. During 

this time the kingdom of the West Saxons, or Wessex as we know it today, was under 

constant attack from Viking sea pirates. By the 9th century AD the Vikings had arrived 

in eastern England with a full-scale army. It wasn’t long before the Vikings had 

successfully taken most of England, with the exception of Wessex which, thanks to the shrewdness of King Alfred, put up 

a credible defence against the invaders. 

Alfred organised a militia army and set up a series of fortified towns (or burghs) throughout his kingdom. These burghs 

provided a safe haven for the local population who could repair to them in times of crisis. Wareham became one of 

Alfred's fortress towns with defensive earth walls topped by a wooded stockade thrown up on three sides of the town, 

excluding the south side which had no wall and presumably at that time was protected by the river Frome and the boggy 

marshland. 

2012–2013 25


In 875 AD a Viking army marched from East Anglia into Wessex, making their 

way to Wareham where they sacked the town, turning it into a winter camp. 

They then waited for a Viking navy of some 120 ships, which sailed along the 

south coast to Poole bay. Alfred summoned his Saxon soldiers and marched 

on Wareham, laying siege to the town. The Viking army was completely 

outnumbered and Alfred offered them a deal that they would swear an oath 

to leave Wessex for all time or they would be slaughtered. The oath was 

agreed, but as soon as they left the town the Vikings broke free and headed 

west towards Exeter. Their navy suffered a great loss since there was a great 

storm, all ships being wrecked along the Dorset coast. 

Medieval Wareham 

The Norman Conquest of 1066 changed the face of England completely. 

William the Conqueror decided he needed to know exactly who owned what 

in the country that he had just conquered. To do this he commissioned the 

Doomsday Book, an inventory of all the assets previously owned by the Saxons. Wareham’s entry reveals that in 1066 

there were around 350 houses in the town, although some had been destroyed, possibly to make way for a huge motte 

and bailey castle built on high ground in the south west quarter 

of the town. During this period, Wareham developed as a cross 

channel seaport and flourished despite life under the feudal yoke 

of the Normans. During the wars of Steven and Matilda in the 

12th century Wareham Castle took on the role of state prison. 

Important captives were held there and on more than one 

occasion the town was under siege in an effort to recover them. 

By the late 12th and early 13th century Wareham Castle had 

become very much out of favour with the king. 

Medieval Motte and Bailey Castle 

Danish Vikings attacked Saxon 


King John passed through Wareham on his way to his favourite 

hunting lodge at Corfe Castle. Corfe became a much grander 

affair and was almost impregnable, becoming King John’s state 

Lulworth & Winfrith 

Church of England 

VC Primary School 

“Outstanding Education in a beautiful setting” 

Headteacher: Mrs Sharon Buckland 

All enquiries please contact: 

Main School Office, 

School Lane, West Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5SA 

Tel: 01929 400330 Fax: 01929 400717 

e-mail: office@lulworthwinfrith.dorset.sch.uk 

website: www.lulworthwinfrith.dorset.sch.uk 

26 2012–2013


prison with legend having it that 12 knights were locked up in its dungeons and 

left to starve to death. The castle at Wareham fell into decline and dereliction; by 

the 1580s it was sold by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Christopher Hatton and was used 

almost as a quarry with pre-cut stone from the castle being sold off for building 

purposes. One strange custom that is a relic of those medieval times is the 

Wareham Court Leet, an early form of “trading standards office” which ensured 

that the traders gave good measure when brewing ale and fair weight when baking 

bread. 

Civil War 

In the 1640s England was in the grip of a Civil War. Once again Wareham became 

a fortress town. There were a number of skirmishes and a large group of royalist 

soldiers were sent from Dorchester to hold the town against Parliamentarians. 

Some time later a Parliamentarian force arrived and besieged the town. An 

ultimatum was given – ‘surrender or face death’ – and Captain O’Brien and his 

royalist Irish soldiers surrendered, having been promised safe passage. They were 

marched to Bristol and took ship and were then tied up in pairs and half way 

across the Irish Sea they were thrown overboard, a grisly fate. After the Civil War 

Cromwell decreed that the walls of Wareham and Corfe castle should be ‘slighted’ 

so the old medieval stone wall, which sat on top of the earth mounds that we see 

today, was dismantled. Some of the stone that appears in buildings around the 

town is probably from that wall. 

Great Fire of Wareham 

On a hot Sunday in July 1762 someone very carelessly 

threw out ashes onto a rubbish tip at the back of “The Bulls 

Head” Inn (on the site now occupied by Lloyds Bank in 

South Street) which became infamous as the seat of 

Wareham’s catastrophic fire. The old medieval thatched 

buildings were well alight and, by 7 o’clock that evening, 

most of the town had been destroyed. After the fire, a 

successful appeal was launched to raise funds for the 

rebuilding, and after a year of debate an Act of Parliament 

was raised for the rebuilding of the town. The Mayor of the 

day argued that the old timber buildings that once stood in 

the middle of North Street should not be reinstated and 

The Great Fire swept through the town that the wide street would provide an adequate fire break 

in the event that a fire might happen again. It was also 

agreed that all the new properties should have tiled roofs, should be properly insured and that their insurance company 

should provide a fire engine. Even today, many of the houses from that period still bear the plaque outside the front door 

of the Sun Fire Assurance Company. In 2012 we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Great Fire. 

Prosperity and Decline 

Having been rebuilt in the Georgian style of the day, the town began to enjoy a period of prosperity. Some of the local 

merchants had secured lucrative contracts with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth to supply fruit and vegetables and other 

commodities. Clay was another material that was being successfully exploited and Joshia Wedgwood used Wareham clay 

COVE FISH 

selling fresh 

locally 

caught 

fish & shellfish 

Tel: 01929 400807 

Lord Protector 

Oliver Cromwell 

B. D. R. MOTORS LIMITED 

TELEPHONE: 01929 550685 

UNIT 6A, JOHNS ROAD, CAREY, WAREHAM BH20 4BG 

FIRST FOR QUALITY, VALUE & SERVICE 

Servicing & MOT repairs 

to all makes of car 

Diesel Specialists 

Electrics Body Work 

Specialists in 4x4 

Diagnostic & Fault Codes 

on most vehicles & 

welding 

2012–2013 27


in many of his products. By the middle of the 19th century, however, Wareham 

was once again in decline. Some of the cottage industries on which ordinary 

people depended were becoming unviable. Dorset button making was one such 

activity. These buttons were hand sown on a ring that was made from Dorset 

sheep’s horn but by 1850 machine manufactured buttons were being made in 

the midlands and the Dorset button makers could not compete. Sadly, the 

industry collapsed causing great hardship and deprivation. In an attempt to 

create jobs and alleviate local poverty a group of liberal minded investors 

founded a pottery at Sandford. The Victorian works began life making bricks for 

the foundations of the buildings for the great exhibition in 1851 but it later 

went on to produce decorative hollow-ware pottery. By 1900 the pottery 

concentrated on producing architectural products such as drainpipes and it 

continued to operate until the mid 1960s when it closed down. The site 

remained derelict until the late 1970s when the pottery was finally demolished 

and the area redeveloped for residential housing. 

Wareham at War 

In August 1914 the First World War broke out and Wareham became 

a muster point for territorial soldiers. By 1917 there were 7,500 men 

stationed in and around Wareham in camp, with many of the regiments 

from the north of England including the Yorkshire regiment and the 

Lancashire and Yorkshire and, to the north of the town, Australian and 

the New Zealand regiments. The main camp was sited on both sides of 

the Worgret Road and included an infirmary, chapels and a garrison 

theatre. The camp was dismantled in the 1920s and some of the 

buildings were sold off for scout huts and village halls. 

Four miles to the east of Wareham is Holton Heath where, in 1915, a 

vast ammunition factory was constructed. The London and South 

Western Railway built a station there and a workforce of several 

Motoring in the 1920s 

thousand people were employed with most of the workers being 

women who arrived by special trains from Poole and Bournemouth. 

Much of the process was carried on underground to reduce the risk of damage by accidental explosion. Despite their 

best efforts this actually happened in the 1930s and several lives were lost. 

During the Second World War the Isle of Purbeck was a hive of military activity. In Swanage, secret research was being 

carried out by scientists to develop Radar and there was a real fear of enemy invasion along the coast. Enemy aircraft 

regularly flew over looking for the ammunition factory at Holton Heath but it was protected by an elaborate anti-aircraft 

defence system. Wareham itself was not an obvious military target but in December 1942 it received a direct hit from 

a stray German bomber. The blast destroyed several properties but narrowly missed the Saxon church of St. Martin. In 

October 1943 the Americans arrived and proceeded to spend the next six months building up their forces in readiness 

for D-Day. During this time intensive training took place for the 

Normandy invasion and large areas of Purbeck were out of bounds 

to the general public. In one case, the village of Tyneham was 

completely evacuated, the residents being told that they could 

return to their homes after the war but this never came to pass. 

Modern Wareham 

For centuries Wareham was defined by its Saxon walls but in the 

decades after the Second World War, residential developments to 

the north and south of the town have increased its population 

threefold and there are now a number of business parks. The rivers, 

with their broad water meadows still grazed by cattle, period 

buildings. picturesque lanes and the chiming of the Town Hall bell, 

however, all bear testament to Wareham’s unique and individual 

character. 

● ● ● 

Hutchins Blue Plaque – 

Pound Lane 

Marching through Wareham in 

modern times 

28 2012–2013


Wareham in Bloom 

From end of May until early Autumn, the town centre features a mass of flower 

display baskets and stands, catching the visitor’s eye and delighting the senses. 

Full advantage is taken of the long vista of North Street, South Street and 

beyond to the distant view of the Purbeck Hills, Wareham proudly putting on 

its best face with a dazzling array of colour. Wareham in Bloom, a community 

intiative since 1994 and supported by Wareham Town Council, are the proud 

organisers, its fundraising endeavours, generous sponsors, and enthusiastic 

local volunteers and businesses all helping to maintain the displays. 

An annual Wareham in Bloom Local Competition and a Best Kept Allotment 

Competition are organised, with an awards ceremony every October 

celebrating worthy winners. In 2007, Wareham won its first ever Gold in the 

South/South East in Bloom regional competition. Two further Golds followed 

in succession. Wareham also represented its region at the prestigious Britain 

in Bloom finals in 2008 and again in 2011, winning Silver and then a Silver Gilt 

award. And all this with one small volunteer committee! From recycling 

initiatives, roundabout enhancements and permanent planting to litter picking 

and schools/community involvement, there is much to do and help is always 

At the Britain in Bloom Finals 

needed – can you help? Wareham in Bloom is very grateful to its many sponsors, Town Council staff and all those 

who give up their time to help the town look its best. Enjoy our colourful floral displays as you explore! 

● ● ● 

2012–2013 29

Working with Schools 


Wareham in Bloom 

Baskets at Town Hall 

Planting open spaces 

Display stands 

Baskets everywhere 

30 www.wareham-tc.gov.uk/wib/ 

2012–2013

Judging allotments 

Filling every space 


Blooming Lovely! 

Planting troughs 

Pubs join in too 

Our wonderful sponsors 

Wall displays 

2012–2013 www.wareham-tc.gov.uk/wib/ 

31


Education and Youth Facilities 

The organisation of education in Wareham is changing. Following a review and public consultation by Dorset County 

Council, with effect from September 2013 the town’s three schools will become two. The Lady St Mary First School 

becomes a 5–11 primary school while The Purbeck School becomes an 11–18 secondary school. 

EDUCATION 

The Purbeck School 

The Purbeck School is a mixed community comprehensive school with an 

anticipated roll of approximately 1400 students and 120 staff and is a Specialist 

Science College. It is situated on a fine site sloping down to the River Frome 

and enjoys superb facilities. The school is committed to involving all students, 

parents, staff and governors in providing a broad and balanced education 

which encourages the pursuit of excellence and values progress, effort and 

achievement A major refurbishment and rebuilding programme is underway 

and this includes the opening of new Sixth Form accommodation and a 

Learning Resources Centre in the Spring of 2013, together with new Science 

laboratories and dining and social facilities for students. 


Provision for the Performing and Creative Arts will be moving to the adjoining site of the existing Wareham Middle 

School, where there are also exciting plans to develop an extensive range of community provision. These new facilities 

will complement the existing outstanding Purbeck Sports Centre, located on the school campus and provided on a 

shared basis with Purbeck District Council, which is jointly available for school and public use. 

A Youth Centre provided by Dorset County Council is also based on the site and provides activities for young people 

during the day and evenings. 

Further details: Tel:01929 556301 or visit the website: www.purbeck.dorset.sch.uk 

Wareham Middle School 

A popular 9-13 Middle School whose aim is ‘to provide 

all of our pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum 

in an exciting, well resourced and above all a safe, 

stimulating environment’. The teaching team is a wellbalanced 

mix of primary and secondary practitioners supported by an excellent team of teaching assistants and other 

support staff. The school is proud of its achievements, having received the Arts Council Artsmark Silver and the Healthy 

Schools awards along with the Sportsmark and the FA Charter Standard School. Wareham Middle School also has an 

enviable record of sporting achievements and there are good links with many local clubs. The school is noted for 

producing pupils with outstanding musical talent. A wide range of extra-curricular activities take place during lunchtimes 

and after school and a high percentage of pupils who receive instrumental music lessons. Most recent achievements 

include Artsmark and Healthy Schools awards. 

An active Parents Association is actively involved in organising social events, raising funds for equipment etc and a 

committed Governing Board takes an involved and lively interest. Committees have been formed for finance, grounds and 

buildings, and curriculum. Links with the local community and partner schools within Purbeck are strong, the buildings and 

grounds being used regularly by local groups. For details: please contact: tel: or visit: www.warehammid.dorset.sch.uk 

Wareham St Mary CE VC First School – Streche Road, Wareham 

Formerly the Wareham Lady St Mary CE VC First School, the name change will be effective 

from September 1st 2012 with premises totally refurbished by summer 2013. The school 

is undergoing a transformation both in organisation and facilities. A key focus is on 

ensuring pupils are fully prepared to be happy and successful when they leave and fully 

equipped to get the best from what life can offer them. The new school mission 

statement is ‘Learning today for the world of tomorrow’. A particular feature of the school 

is the excellent IT facilities e.g. interactive plasma screens and notebooks or I-pads for 

pupils to develop their learning. 

Wareham St Mary 

First School 

Children are enrolled from Reception up to Year 6, when they transfer to Upper School 

at age 11 years. The school is part of the Purbeck Pyramid of schools and has developed 

partnerships with other local schools/pre-schools to offer training for staff, staff liaison 

and children’s opportunities. It prides itself on its family atmosphere, seeks to develop 

strong partnerships with parents, carers and families to work together and support 

learning through regular opportunities to join in the life of the school. The latest 

32 2012–2013


OFSTED monitoring visit in October 2011 found that ‘the school has made good progress in making improvements and 

good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement’. 

With close links to Wareham’s Lady St Mary’s Parish Church, a member of the clergy team comes into school for weekly 

assemblies and there are pupil visits to the church to develop children’s understanding. Outside areas include an Early 

Years outdoor learning area, superb adventure trail, shelters/classrooms, an allotment, a performance stage and a ‘secret 

garden’. Before/after school and holiday care for all children of the school and local in community is offered by ‘Primetime 

Kids Club’. Further details: contact: Tel: 01929 552517 or: http://www.ladystmary.dorset.sch.uk 

YOUTH FACILITIES 

Wareham Area Youth Centre – Wareham Area Youth Worker Kev Vasey says: “We are based at the Purbeck school 

site (next to the Sports Centre and work in partnership with numerous agencies including local schools, Purbeck District 

Council, the Police, Dorset Community Action, the Gateway Club, Lions and the Purbeck Sports Centre itself. We 

organise after school clubs, daytime clubs and evening provision while senior youth members are currently developing a 

year 7/ 8 night. We also supply qualified youth workers to other Purbeck youth centres. 

In addition, we run various trips and residential activities e.g. surfing trips to Perranporth, other trips to Alton Towers, 

Thorpe Park, Bristol Skate Park, bowling alleys, skating rinks, beaches, ‘Splashdown’ trips, plus Senior Members 

Forum/Sixth Formers activities. Sporting visits have included kayaking, climbing, white water rafting, football trips and 

football training. We have also offered first aid at work qualifications, cooking, film nights, plus DJ sessions after (and 

during) school. 

We work on a 1:1 basis with young people, there to support them with their many issues e.g. homelessness, 

unemployment, healthy relationships, domestic abuse, self-esteem as well as school achievement and college/university 

applications. Additionally, we offer preventative work regarding drugs and alcohol abuse and support on hygiene, health 

(including sexual health) and safety matters. There is a lunchtime provision in partnership with The Primary Care trust 

which offers a drop-in centre for young people to seek professional support from qualified staff.” 

The young people we engage with take part in informal education at a pace that suits them, when they are ready. Above 

all, we have fun! So why not come and join us? For further information or to have a chat please feel free to phone: 

Kev Vasey – 01929 552934. 

Kings 

Kabs Ltd 

01929 554223 

Friendly & Professional 

Service 

8 seater, Night Club Pickups, 

Docks, Airports, 

Local & Long Distance 

Lady Drivers Available 

Courier Work 

Kingston Country Courtyard 

for weddings with a difference 

Corporate Functions or Weddings 

Character Medieval barn in a picturesque setting in the Purbeck Hills 

Can be hired for weddings and private or corporate functions 

Can seat about 125 people 

Selection of food available. Locally sourced, freshly prepared food 

from hog roasts to banquets. 

Menu’s tailored to personal needs. 

Contact: Bobbie Brown 

to discuss your requirements 

Tel: 01929 481066 

or 07882 485376 

relax@kingstoncountrycourtyard.com 

www.kingstoncountrycourtyard.com 

Coombs 

Auto Repairs 

Mobile Mechanic 

Servicing (all makes) MOT Repairs 

Computer Diagnostics V.W. Specialist 

Breakdown Assistance 

Quality Parts used 

Mobile (07595218327) 

Tel (01929 462582) 

2012–2013 33


Father Christmas Parade – 

With Golden Boots! 

The Wareham Father Christmas Parade is eagerly awaited every December. 

Organised by volunteer members of the Wareham Father Christmas 

Committee for over 50 years, this annual spectacle has become something 

of a local tradition and is eagerly awaited by children and their families. For 

any winter visitor to Purbeck, the parade is a must-see if you happen to be 

anywhere near Wareham on that particular day – usually 2nd Sunday 

afternoon in December. Father Christmas has a different theme of 

transport each year and may arrive in any style he fancies, escorted by local 

bands, floats and a variety of helpers – including his reindeers and elves, of 

course – to greet the assembled crowd outside the Red Lion Hotel. 

Father Christmas’s route takes him along North and South Street first, 

through the town centre, arriving again in West Street as he approaches the 

Christmas tree and stage area. He then leaves his transport on foot to 

enter the Red Lion Hotel’s old coaching entrance, finally re-appearing high 

up on the hotel roof, perched on the chimney – complete with sack bearing 

gifts for the excited children below and real snow falling! How do we know 

it is the real Father Christmas? Because he wears his famous golden boots! When he comes down from the roof, 

all children can meet him and take home a present from his Grotto at the Red Lion. All proceeds of Father Christmas 

Parade street collections donated to local charities. Note: Volunteers are urgently needed for the Wareham Father Christmas and 

Christmas Lights Committees – can you help? If so, please telephone 01929 56435. Thank you, says Father Christmas! 

AMBULANCE SERVICE 

Dorset Ambulance Service, Tel: 01202 851640 

Patient Transport Services 

(Non-Emergency) Tel: 01305 255140 

Emergency Tel: 999 or 112 

BANKS 

Lloyds TSB, 3 South Street Tel: 0845 3000000 

NatWest, 2 North Street Tel: 0845 3009863 

Barclays, 3 North Street Tel: 0845 7555555 

BUILDING SOCIETIES 

Nationwide, 1a South Street Tel: 01929 556230 

CHAMBER OF TRADE 

C/O Farwells, Mr Mark Howlett Tel: 01929 552044 

CHEMISTS 

Day Lewis, 11-13 South Street Tel: 01929 552384 

Boots, 4 North Street Tel: 01929 552737 

CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS 

DENOMINATIONS 

Church of England 

Lady St Mary, Church Street 

The Rectory: Tel: 01929 556796 

General Enquiries: Parish office Tel: 01929 550905 

● ● ● 

Father Christmas arrives in 


Local Information Directory 

St. Martin’s Sandford ) 

St Nicholas Arne ) 

St John’s East Holme ) 

www.warehamchurches.org.uk 

St Martin on-the-walls 

United Reformed Church 

Revd. Simon Franklin email: info@swanage-urc.co.uk 

Methodist Church 

Roman Catholic St Edwards 

Rev. Ciaran McGuinness Tel: 01929 463334 

Purbeck Gateway Church 

Pastor Paul Shepherd Tel: 01929 551415 

Emmanuel Baptist Church Tel: 01929 427706 

CHILDREN’S DAY CARE 

Tops Day Nurseries, 1 Carey Road Tel: 01929 555051 

CINEMA 

The Rex, 14 West Street Tel: 01929 552778 

CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU 

2 Mill Lane Tel: 01929 551257 

COMMUNITY CENTRES/MEETING PLACES 

Carey Hall, 10 Mistover Road Tel: 01929 556527 

Corn Exchange, Town Hall, East Street Tel: 01929 553006 

Parish Hall, Wareham Tel: 01929 550905 

Masonic Hall, Howards Lane Tel: 01929 556896 

34 2012–2013

COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS 

Dorset Association for the Disabled Tel: 01305 849122 

Helping Hands, 7 St Martin’s Place Tel: 01929 556525 

Twinning Association Hemsbach Tel: 01929 553187 

Wareham Carer’s Group Tel: 01929 553456 

Wareham & District Development Trust 

email: john@wddt.org.uk 

DENTISTS 

Purbeck Dental Centre, West Street Tel: 01929 554760 

Wareham Dental Surgery, 

16 West Street Tel: 01929 552363 

Electricity (Emergencies) Tel: 0800 0727282 

FIRE SERVICE 

Fire Station (Retained Fire Service) Tel: 01305 252600 

Emergency Tel: 999 or 112 

Fire safety Advice: Tel: 01305 252600 

Gas Service 

(Emergencies) Tel: 0800 111999 

EDUCATION 

Primary (Age range 4 – 9 years) 

Lady St. Mary First School 

Streche Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 552517 

Middle (Age Range 9 – 13 years) 

Wareham Middle School 

Worgret Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 553335 

National Association of 

Agricultural 


Secondary (Age Range 13 – 18 years) 


Worgret Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 556301 

Tertiary (Age Range 16 – 18 years) 


(Sixth Form Centre), Worgret Road Tel: 01929 556301 

Pupil & School Improvement Children’s Services 

Dorset County Council Education Department 

County Hall, Colliton Park, 

Dorchester DT1 1XJ Tel: 01305 224698 

ESTATE AGENTS 

Booth & Corben, 7a West Street Tel: 01929 551661 

Bullock& Lees, 10 North Street Tel: 01929 552632 

Connells, 1 South Street Tel: 01929 553636 

Goadsby, 10 West Street Tel: 01929 552206 

Purbeck Property, 5 South Street Tel: 01929 556660 

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS 

Poole Job Centre Plus Tel: 01202 333000 

Registration Service, 

Births, Deaths and Marriages Tel: 01305 225153 

Wareham Library: Tues & Thurs 2.00 – 4 p.m. 

(Note: by appointment only) 

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) 

St John’s House, Poole Tel: 0845 010900 

Holland House, Bournemouth Tel: 0844 4740101 

Philip Trim Contractors Ltd 

Septic Tanks / Liquid Waste Management 

* Domestic & Business Septic Tanks 

* Liquid Waste Disposal 

* Local Professional Service 

RING NOW FOR DETAILS 

01929 472192 

07971 005579 

www.philiptrimcontractors.com 

Email: philip@trimcontractors.fsnet.com 

Environment 

Agency Reg. 

Wessex Water 

Organic Waste 

2012–2013 35

GUEST HOUSES/HOTELS 

Details of Recommended 

Establishments: Purbeck Information 

and Heritage Centre, South Street Tel: 01929 552740 

HEALTH CENTRES, HOSPITALS, AND 

CLINICS 

Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust Tel: 01202 442029 

NHS Direct Tel: 0845 4647 

Poole Hospital Tel: 01202 665511 

Purbeck Careline 

Prospect House, 8 Westminster 

Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 558455 

Purbeck CMHT, 19 Bonnetts Lane, 

Wareham Tel: 01202 849048 

Purbeck Day Centre, Sandford Lane Tel: 01929 557746 

Sandford Surgery, Tel: 01929 554490 

Wareham Chiropractic Clinic 

Elmstead, Sandford Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 551513 

Wareham Outreach Day Hospital 

Streche Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 552433 

Wareham Surgery, Streche Road Tel: 01929 553444 

LAW COURTS 

HM Courts Service, Poole 

Magistrates Court Tel: 01202 745309 

LEISURE CENTRE 

Purbeck Sports Centre, 

Purbeck School Tel: 01929 500000 

LIBRARY 

South Street Tel: 01929 556146 

MANOR OF WAREHAM 

The Estate Office, Cow Lane Tel: 01929 552666 

MARKETS 

Cottee’s Auctions Ltd, East Street: 

Thursday Market + Tuesday 

fortnightly sales Tel: 01929 552826 

Saturday Street Market, on the Quay 

Contact: (Market Supervisor) Tel: 01202 474656 

Farmers Market: at the Corn Exchange, 

Town Hall, 2nd and 4th Thursday in month 

Contact: A Carlyle Tel: 07798743877 

Wareham Home Producers, 

Every Thursday 8.30 – 11am at 

United Reformed Church, East Street Tel: 01929 553798 

MEDICAL CENTRES/DOCTORS 

(See Health Centres) 

Wareham Surgery, Streche Road Tel: 01929 553444 

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT 

Mrs Annette Brooke, Constituency Office 

14 York Road, Broadstone Tel: 01202 693555 

Sandford Surgery Tel: 01925 554493 

MEPs 

Trevor Colman Tel: 01626 831343 

William (The Earl of) DARTMOUTH Tel: 01531 890180 

Sir Graham Watson Tel: 01458 252265 


Ashley Fox Tel: 0117 973 7050 

MOBILITY 

Purbeck Mobility Tel: 01929 552623 

MUSEUM 

Wareham Town Museum 

Town Hall, East Street Tel: 01929 553448 

PLAY AREAS 

(Wareham Town Council) Tel: 01929 553006 

Situated at: Wareham Recreation Ground, 

Drax Avenue, Mistover Road, 

Tantinoby Lane (see Centre Map) 

PLAYGROUPS AND NURSERIES 

Focus Nursery School Tel: 01929 555135 

Katz Kids Tel: 07432 556485 

Stoborough Nursery, 

Supervisor Mrs P Edwards Tel: 07796 297701 

Tops Day Nurseries, 1 Carey Road Tel: 01929 555051 

POLICE 

Dorset Constabulary 

Non emergency Tel: 01202 222222 

Emergency: 999 or 112 

POST OFFICE 

Carey, 29 Carey Road Tel: 01929 552403 

Wareham, 12 North Street Tel: 01929 552106 

Deliveries Office 

Sandford Lane Industrial Estate Tel: 01929 552747 

PURBECK CARELINE 

Prospect House, 8 Westminster 

Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 558455 

PURBECK DISTRICT COUNCIL 

Westport House 

Worgret Road Tel: 01929 556561 

RECREATION GROUNDS 

Wareham Recreation Ground Tel: 01929 553006 

(Wareham Town Council) 

SOCIAL HOUSING 

Purbeck District Council Tel: 01929 557370 

Synergy Housing Tel: 01929 558400 

SOCIAL SERVICES (Dorset County Council) 

Purbeck Area, 19 Bonnets Lane, 


SWIMMING POOL 

Purbeck Sports Centre, Purbeck School site, 

Worgret Road Tel: 01929 550000 

THEATRES 

Rex Cinema, 14 West Street, 


36 2012–2013

TRADING STANDARDS 

General Enquiries, Tel: 01305 224012 

TOURIST INFORMATION 

Discover Purbeck Information 

Centre Tel: 01929 556146 

(since 2012 at: Library, South Street) 

TRANSPORT 

First Buses Tel: 0870 0106022 

National Express Bus Service Tel: 08717 818178 

Wilts & Dorset Buses Tel: 01983 827005 

Trains Tel: 08457 484950 

UNIFORMED YOUTH ORGANISATIONS 

Air Cadets Tel: 01202 690239 

Boy’s Brigade Tel: 01929 551373 

Guides Tel: 01202 620006 

Scouts Tel: 01929 472374 

VETERINARY SURGEONS 

Lynwood Veterinary Hospital, 

Unit 9 Leanne, Business Centre, 

Sandford Lane, Wareham Tel: 01929 552692 

The Pet Health Partnership, 

17 East Street Tel: 01929 552599 


Top quality, sustainable childcare 

Flexible hours to suit your family 

See how flexible we can be for your family 

• Flexible nursery care per 1/4 hour 

• Babysitting service outside of hours 

• Qualified crèche team for private events 

• Nursery hire for children’s parties 

• FREE settling in session available 

Tops Day Nursery 

1 Carey Road, Wareham BH20 4AX 

www.topsdaynurseries.co.uk 

01929 555051 

WATER (Emergencies) Tel: 0845 600 4600 

WELFARE SERVICES AND ADVICE CENTRES 

Citizens Advice Bureau, 2 Mill Lane Tel: 01929 551257 

Volunteer Centre Dorset Tel: 01305 269214 

Community Payback 

(Probation Service, Unit 19) Tel: 01929 556513 

Purbeck Mental Health Support Tel: 01929 557735 

Samaritans, 1 Durrant Road, 

Bournemouth Tel: 01202 551999 

Tel: 08457 909090 

WAREHAM TOWN COUNCIL 

Town Hall, East Street Tel: 01929 553006 

(incl. bookings for Corn Exchange, 

Recreation Ground & Weddings in Council Chamber) 

Town Clerk Tel: 01929 550771 

WASTE RECYCLING CENTRE 

Westminster Road, Wareham Tel: 01929 556464 

Dorset Reduction and Recycling 

Group Tel: 01305 225002 

YOUTH CENTRES 

Wareham Area Youth & Community Centre, 

Purbeck School site, Worgret Road Tel: 01929 552934 

2012–2013 37

Allotments: Bestwall(Sec) 01929 554990 

Allotments: Northmoor 01929 556664 

Aquafit Classes 01929 463668 

Air Training Corps (Civilian Committee) 01202 690239 

Boys Brigade 01929 551373 

Brownies Wareham District 01929 552235 

Coastal Martial Arts 07970 459793 

Court Leet of Wareham 01929 556674 

Dance Sylkies (Mike and Sylvia) 01929 552381 

Dorset Buttons 01929 480737 

Dorset Golf & Country Club 01929 472244 

Dorset Guild of Singers 01929 472643 

Dorset Wildlife Trust 01929 556816 

Natural England Green Team 01202 883084 

Father Christmas Committee 01929 556435 

Friday Lunch Club 01929 556761 

Grapevine 01929 553939 

Guides Wareham & District 01929 552235 

Harbin and Pitt Trust 01929 553187 

Multiple Sclerosis Society 01929 552793 

Probus 

Purbeck Association National 

01929 556895 

Trust Members 01929 425500 

Purbeck Badminton Club 01929 556454 

Purbeck Chess Club 01929 425988 

Purbeck Freewheelers 01929 554550 

Purbeck Gardening Club 01929 552105 

Purbeck Gateway Club 01929 551743 

Purbeck Sport Centre 01929 556454 

Purbeck Squash Club 01929 556454 

Purbeck Swimming club 01929 556454 

Purbeck Wood Carvers 01929 480686 

Rainbows Wareham District 01929 552235 

Rex Players 01929 551817 

Rotary Club 01929 471339 

Royal British Legion Sandford 01929 553470 

Scouts Wareham District 01929 472374 

Slimming World 01929 463549 

Springfield Leisure Club 01929 554888 

The Stoke Association (Dorset) 01929 732739 

The University of the Third Age 01929 427407 

The Wednesday Group 01929 551050 

Wareham and District Archaeology 01929 553144 

Wareham Disabled Club 01929 553419 

Wareham Area Senior Forum 07551 668638 


Clubs and Societies 

Wareham Court Leet 

Wareham Art Club 01929 553822 

Wareham Christmas Lights Committee 01929 556435 

Wareham Bell Ringers 01929 553651 

Wareham Camera club 

Wareham Conches Society 

01929 553822 

(town twinning) 01929 551979 

Wareham Choral Society 01929 554229 

Wareham Conservative Club 01929 551215 

Wareham Folk Dance Club 01929 551332 

Wareham 41 Club 01929 552162 

Wareham Golf Club 01929 554147 

Wareham Health Care Forum 

Wareham Hemsbach Society 

0845 3899444 

(town twinning) 01929 553187 

Wareham In Bloom 01929 553006 

Wareham Lions Club 01929 551934 

Wareham Rangers Youth Football 01929 553161 

Wareham Rotary Club 01929 471339 

Wareham Round Table 07803 032518 

Wareham Rugby Club 01929 552224 

Wareham Shortmat Bowls 01929 556527 

Wareham Tangent Club 

Wareham Town Band 

01929 554283 

Wareham Youth Club 01929 552934 

Wareham Cricket Club 01929 553051 

Wareham Whalers 01929 551979 

Weightwatchers 08453 451500 

West Country Embroiderers 01929 551697 

WI Stoborough 01929 553828 

Note: information is published in good faith as we go to 

press in May 2012 however no responsibility can be 

assumed for telephone numbers which may subsequently 

change. 

38 2012–2013


Commercial & Domestic Tree Work 

Fully Insured & NPTC Qualified 

RFS Cert ARB 

All aspects of Tree Surgery & Hedgework Undertaken Inc. 

Tree Felling & Pruning – Stump Removal – Site Clearance 

10 Years Experience 

SEEKINGS FARM, HARMANS CROSS, SWANAGE, DORSET BH19 3DX 

Please Call For Free Quotes & Advice 7 Days a Week 

Blandford, Dorchester, Poole, Swanage 

Wareham, Wimborne, Weymouth 

01929 481600 Mobile 07703 210647 

email: njatreecare@yahoo.co.uk 

www.njatreecare.com 

2012–2013 39

P U R B E C K M O B I L I T Y L I M I T E D 

Sales Hire and Repair Centre for 

Scooters, Wheelchairs and Care Equipment 

Free Home Demonstrations 

Personal Friendly Service 

Accredited NHS Provider 

Plenty of Parking Nearby 

Tel 01929 552623 

info@purbeckmobility.com 

www.purbeckmobility.com 

SHOPMOBILITY MEMBER 

ST JOHNS HILL, WAREHAM BH20 4NB

Town Guide - Wareham Town Council

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