East Dorset Heritage Trust Celebrating 10 Years At Allendale House 2001 - 2011

About the East Dorset Heritage Trust

The East Dorset Heritage Trust is an environmental education charity, founded in 1987.

Its aims include: 

  ►stimulating interest in the landscape, wildlife 
     and archaeology of the area;
  ►fostering an awareness of environmental management

     and the community;
  ►providing an open forum for anyone with local

     environmental interests;
  ►developing new approaches to environmental education.

Our Patrons

Professor David Bellamy OBE

Sir Tim Berners-Lee OM 

Our Management Board & Trustees

Please click to view the Management Board for 2010/2011

Our Staff

Trust Manager: Sarah Evans

Systems & Projects Manager: Ian Utley

Trust Administrator: Kimberley Hiett

Please note: Mark Nash left the Trust in March 2011. Please direct any queries regarding the Learning or Heritage Programmes to Sarah.

Contact Us

Our Contribution to the Community

East Dorset Heritage Trust is strongly committed to helping and contributing to the community of East Dorset.  At present this commitment consists of the following:

►Provision of office space and technical support for the
   Vision Wimborne Dialaride community transport service

►Provision of office space for the Wimborne BID

►Provision of storage facilities for the Priest’s House Museum

►Administrative, secretarial and treasury services for           
   community groups, including Vision Wimborne, Wimborne  
   Community Theatre, Dorset Architectural Heritage Week, 

   Storytelling at the Ancient Technology Centre and EDALE.

About Allendale House

Allendale House is a fine Georgian building in the middle of the market town of Wimborne Minster.  

It has been home to East Dorset Heritage Trust since 2001 when the Trust moved from Market House in the Cornmarket.

Sir Jeffrey Wyatville originally designed Allendale House in 1823 as a family home for the Castleman family. William Castleman was a Steward to the Hanham Estate.  His eldest son, Edward, became a Steward to the Bankes Estate while his youngest son, Charles, successfully campaigned to bring the railway to Wimborne.
 

Allendale House then passed through several hands before becoming first

Miss Susie Funnell's School for Young Ladies then Wimborne High School for Girls.

The building was purchased by Wimborne Urban District Council in 1939 as the Civic Centre. It remained so until the reorganisation of the local authorities in 1974.There then followed a succession of  businesses.

When the House became empty at the turn of the Twentieth Century, the Trust moved in and returned the building to community use.