The Keep, Dorchester

Name: The Keep
Address: Barrack Road, Dorchester, DT1 1RN, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1305 264066

#5 among attractions in Dorchester

Museum, Military museum

Gallery (1)

Map

Facts and practical information

The Keep, Dorchester is part of the former county barracks of the 39th Regiment of Foot and the 75th Regiment of Foot. The barracks were built in about 1880 and housed various regiments as units were amalgamated. It ceased to be used in 1958 and most of the site was redeveloped in the 1960s, but the keep remained in Ministry of Defence hands and is now used as a regimental museum. It is a Grade II listed building. ()

Built: 1877 (147 years ago)Coordinates: 50°42'53"N, 2°26'37"W

Address

Barrack RoadDorchester DT1 1RN United Kingdom

Contact

+44 1305 264066

Website

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Dorchester

Day trips

The Keep – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Dorset County Museum, Max Gate, Dorset Teddy Bear Museum, Maumbury Rings.

~1490 ftE
Museum, History museum, Natural history museum
Dorset County Museum, Dorchester
8 min walk • The Dorset County Museum is located in Dorchester, Dorset, England. Founded in 1846, the museum covers the county of Dorset's history and environment. The current building was built in 1881 on the former site of the George Inn. The building was designed specifically to house the museum's collection and is in the neo-Gothic style.
1.1 miSE
Museum, Architecture, Historical place
Max Gate, Dorchester
29 min walk • Max Gate is the former home of Thomas Hardy and is located on the outskirts of Dorchester, Dorset, England. It was designed and built by Thomas Hardy for his own use in 1885 and he lived there until his death in 1928. In 1940 it was bequeathed to the National Trust by Hardy's sister and is now open to the public.
0.5 miE
Museum, Specialty museum
Dorset Teddy Bear Museum, Dorchester
13 min walk • The Dorset Teddy Bear Museum is a teddy bear museum in Dorchester, Dorset, southern England. The museum includes Teddy Bear House and displays antique and other teddy bears. Bears on display include Paddington Bear, Rupert Bear, and Winnie the Pooh. The earliest bear dates from 1906 and there are also life-sized bears.
0.5 miS
Archaeological site
Maumbury Rings, Dorchester
13 min walk • Maumbury Rings is a Neolithic henge in the south of Dorchester town in Dorset, England. It is a large circular earthwork, 85 metres in diameter, with a single bank and an entrance to the north east.
~500 ftE
Monuments and statues
Thomas Hardy Statue, Dorchester
3 min walk • Thomas Hardy Statue is a statue of Thomas Hardy, located at Dorchester, Dorset, England. It was funded by public subscription to commemorate Hardy's life and works, three years after his death.
0.5 miE
Monuments and statues
Dorset Martyrs Memorial, Dorchester
14 min walk • The Dorset Martyrs Memorial is a grade II listed sculpture by Elisabeth Frink in Dorchester, Dorset, England. It was unveiled in 1986 on the site of the gallows where Catholic martyrs were hanged in the 16th and 17th centuries.
0.4 miNW
Forts and castles
Poundbury Hill, Dorchester
12 min walk • Poundbury Hill is the site of a scheduled Prehistoric and Roman archaeological remains and includes evidence of a Neolithic settlement, a substantial Bronze Age occupation site and an Iron Age hillfort.
~1660 ftE
City hall
Municipal Buildings, Dorchester
9 min walk • The Municipal Buildings are based on the north side of High East Street in Dorchester, Dorset, England. The structure, which was the headquarters of Dorchester Borough Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
0.4 miE
Museum, Science museum, Specialty museum
Dinosaur Museum, Dorchester
11 min walk • The Dinosaur Museum is a museum presenting dinosaurs in Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, in southern England. The Dinosaur Museum is the only museum in mainland Britain dedicated purely to dinosaurs. The museum is not far from the Jurassic Coast to the south, a World Heritage Site.
~830 ftSE
50°42'46"N • 2°26'29"W
The Borough Gardens, Dorchester
5 min walk • Garden, Park
~1070 ftE
Historical place, History museum, Museum
Shire Hall, Dorchester
6 min walk • Shire Hall is an 18th-century courthouse in Dorchester, Dorset. The building was the centre of law, order and government, and served as the county hall for Dorset until 1955. It has been Grade I listed since 1950. In 2018, the hall opened as the Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When is The Keep open?

The Keep is open:

Monday closed
Tuesday 10 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday 10 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday 10 am - 4:30 pm
Friday 10 am - 4:30 pm
Saturday closed
Sunday closed

Which popular attractions are close to The Keep?

Nearby attractions include Thomas Hardy Statue, Dorchester (3 min walk), The Borough Gardens, Dorchester (5 min walk), The Tutankhamun Exhibition, Dorchester (5 min walk), Shire Hall, Dorchester (6 min walk).

How to get to The Keep by public transport?

The nearest stations to The Keep:

Train

Dorchester West (7 min walk)
Dorchester South (12 min walk)