Friday Talk: A Ship, a Gate and a Country Estate

In our first Friday Talk of 2025, Steve Richardson takes a wander through some of Dorset’s imperial connections.

The British Empire frequently emerges as a topic in the so-called culture wars. Often the Empire is portrayed as a balance sheet, with positives and negatives e.g. railways in India vs the trade in enslaved people. Such approaches to discussion of Empire are questionable, but organisations like Restore Trust and History Reclaimed aim to promote sanitised versions of empire. However, empire is messy, as is history – very difficult to sanitise or edit.

This became clear when Steve was researching Dorset’s maritime heritage and stumbled across an indication the Bridport had been a major centre of shipbuilding in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Its importance was such that ships for the Royal Navy were built there. Following the details of one Bridport-built ship, led to a chain of connections which stretched to the American “colonies,” piracy in the Arabian Sea, Bombay and the development of a shipping company which still exists, The Summer Palace in Beijing, Dorset and finally to the Caribbean and various “small wars” fought towards the end of the 19th century.

The talk will explore the connections between a ship, a gate and a country estate, starting and ending in Dorset. In so doing, it will show how empire is woven into the fabric of the British Isles.

Refreshments will be available from 7 pm, and the talk will start at 7.30 pm and finish at around 9 pm.

Admission £6 (free to Friends and Patrons of the Museum)

We have a variety of talks about our history and heritage from a range of expert speakers lined up for Spring and Autumn 2025. These will take place on Fridays (usually, but not always, the last Friday of the month) at the Parish Centre in Blandford. Please visit our Calendar for information about future talks.