The best market in Dorset, a minster, and a model town
Wimborne Minster is one of the most underrated towns in Dorset — a proper market town with a magnificent Norman minster, a famous outdoor market, and a model town that children genuinely love. It's best on a Friday or Saturday when the market is running.
The outdoor market runs on Fridays and Saturdays in the town square. It's one of the largest and best markets in Dorset — fresh produce, local crafts, clothing, and a good selection of street food. Arrive early for the best produce.
The cheese stall near the minster entrance is excellent. The bread stall sells out by 11am.
The Minster is one of the finest Norman churches in southern England — it has been standing since the 10th century. The chained library inside is extraordinary — one of only four surviving chained libraries in England, with books dating from 1343. Entry to the minster is free; the library has a small charge.
The Quarter Jack — a mechanical figure that strikes the quarter hours on the outside of the tower — has been doing so since 1612. Watch for it.
A 1:10 scale model of Wimborne as it was in the 1950s, set in a garden. It sounds modest but it's genuinely charming — the detail is extraordinary and children are fascinated by it. Allow 45 minutes.
The model town café is good for lunch — simple food, reasonable prices, and a pleasant garden.
Wimborne is at its best in the summer when the Minster gardens are in full bloom and the market is at its largest. The town is also home to the Tivoli Theatre — one of the last surviving independent cinemas in Dorset.
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