29 October 2009 - Dorchester

On this visit I wanted to take a look up from street level at some of the buildings facades above the shop fronts. I also wanted to visit Borough gardens for the first time.

The old Antelope Hotel now forms the entrance to Antelope walk. The Antelope Hotel used to be one of the towns main Coaching Inns.

This the grand looking building which contains the Whittard shop.

Nat West Bank.

I wonder when these windows were filled in?

Barclays bank is a very smart looking building with the different coloured bricks. The blue plaque says “This house is reputed to have been lived in by the Mayor of Casterbridge in Thomas Hardy’s story of that name written in 1885.”

A very modern shop building.

This building is very church like.

This very ornate building used to be the post office.

Another view showing the corner location.

The plaque on these shops says that William Barnes the Dorset poet lived here from 1847 to 1862.

The plaque on this building records that Thomas Hardy worked here from 1856 to 1862 as pupil to John Hicks, Architect.

The United church.

The former New Inn which is now converted to shops.

My lunch from the Celtic Kitchen pasty shop in Antelope Walk.

A first visit for me to Borough Gardens. The bandstand.

This clock and tower was presented to the borough in 1905 by Charles Hansford esquire.

The fountain.

Our route back to the town after our Pasty lunch. This is Bowling Alley Walk.

Goulds.

Nappers Mite. The date on the wall is 1616. This was built by Sir Robert Napper in 1615 as the Almshouse in which 10 poor men were housed.

Dorchester Museum.