The East Dorset Antiquarian Society is an amateur society. Lectures by visiting speakers (and sometimes by our own members) are mainly on archaeology with occasional historical based talks. They are held from September to May at St Catherine's Church Hall, corner of Leigh Road and Lewens Lane, Wimborne.

Past lecturers have included Professor Mick Aston of Time Team fame and Julian Richards of Meet the Ancestors.

Members also arrange visits and guided walks to places of interest in Dorset and neighbouring counties.

Click on the Programme button above for details of the lectures and walks.

There are also a few social events, such as our annual barbecue, which help to cement the relationship of members of an active and friendly society. We have about 180 members of a wide age range, some experienced in their fields of research, others not, all though very keen. We publish a monthly Newsletter - click on the button on the left for details.

One of our main areas of interest is the Allen Valley, which stretches from Sixpenny Handley to Wimborne. An area that is associated with some of the richest archaeology in England containing the Cursus, Knowlton, and villages of considerable history, such as Horton, Witchampton, Wimborne St. Giles, Hinton Martel and of course Wimborne.

Another of our main areas of interest is the Gussage Valley where much of our practical archaeology over a number of years has been concentrated (see below).

We undertake practical archaeology and between 1998 and 2001 excavated a high status Roman building, where we found evidence of tesserae manufacture, including minute glass cubes. Painted wall plaster was also recovered. Since then excavations have taken place at Tarrant Monkton, Worth Matravers, Stourpaine, Wimborne Square and other sites.

Our annual membership fees are: students £5, ordinary membership £8.50, families and institutions £12.00. Membership is renewable on 1st April each year except those joining after December when renewal will be due 1st April the following year.

If you are interested in joining the society, or want more details, please contact us by clicking on the button on the left hand side. Alternatively, print off, complete and send us the Application Form and Standing Order Form Both forms are in pdf format. Please see our home page for details of how to download Adobe Reader if you do not already have it.

© EDAS 2011