Sturminster Newton’s Museum Society was formed in 1984, prompted by the death of Ray Rogers, former registrar of Sturminster Newton, a keen collector of archival material and a long-time campaigner for a museum.
The Museum was finally opened in the disused Chapel of the old Union Workhouse in Bath Road on 15th July 1989 by Miss Agnes Williams, the granddaughter of Montague Williams who built the chapel in 1890.
The Chapel suffered several problems as a Museum: it was on the outskirts of the town, had inadequate parking and very poor conservation conditions. It did not attract many visitors.
In 2007, the Society, now the Museum & Mill Society, were able, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the community, to raise sufficient funds to provide a deposit on a mortgage to purchase the current Museum building.
Subsequently, a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled the Society to make some necessary internal alterations and refurbish the building as a museum. The new Museum opened to the public on August 1st 2008.
During the first three months of the year, the museum has restricted opening times (see opening times in the footer).
