Since the mid-19th century, Dorchester Abbey, now the parish church of Dorchester-on-Thames, has been home to a collection of over 200 items of worked medieval stone.  The provenance of these items is unknown, but they are assumed to survive from monastic buildings destroyed following Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. 

As part of a major refurbishment programme, the Parochial Church Council commissioned the building of a traditional oak-framed pentice on the

site of the original cloister walk.  This now houses the Cloister Gallery where the Abbey’s collection of worked medieval stones has been conserved, stored and displayed. 

‘If stones could speak…’ tells the 1400-year story of the Abbey, illustrates the craft of the medieval stonemasons, and is an educational resource for young and old.  The display uses a novel means of mounting mediaeval stone artefacts, together with beautifully written and presented interpretation and subtle lighting, to provide visitors with an unforgettable impression of the Abbey’s past.

The Museum is run wholly by volunteers and its collections comprise artefacts and documentary material relating to the village of Dorchester on Thames. It welcomes over 5,000 visitors annually and is run on an annual budget of just £3,000. The new Cloister Gallery display cost £111,000 - part of the £3.75 million raised to date by the Dorchester Abbey Campaign. It is hoped that the Gallery will attract many new visitors, especially schoolchildren and students.

Visitor comment: “The most innovative, bold and exciting ecclesiastical display to have been undertaken in this country in recent years.”

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