Information Centre

The museum and information centre (located in the library) can be found in Chantry Fields (opposite Waitrose).

A Short History of the Town

“The oldest substantial building in the town apart from the church is Wyke Hall. Parts date from Tudor times and although much altered over the years is now in good order and divided into several separate dwelling units.

St Mary’s church has existed for over 900 years but was largely rebuilt in the 1830′s under the direction of Henry Deane, vicar at the time. The chancel is the only substantial ancient part, dating from the 14th century. The church is unique in that the chancel floor is lower than that of the nave.

The coming of the railway in 1859, opened opportunities for Gillingham to grow and thrive. Many industries were established and the main street furnished with a variety of shops. Important among new industries were several serving the farming community, particularly for dairy products, which could now be dispatched several times daily to London and other large towns to arrive in a fresh condition.

Brick and pottery works, gloving, engineering, glue making, brewing and a bacon factory, were the main manufacturing industries with markets, service and retail businesses covering virtually every need of the Victorian age.

During the 20th century the town continued to steadily grow, and cheap local land prices have led to much housing development. The population now stands at around 11,000.”

Travel News

For travel news click here for the most up-to-date road traffic information.
Data is updated every 5 minutes using sensors placed on motorways and common A & B roads.

Local Attractions

There are numerous attractions and places to visit in the surrounding area.

Close by are:

The Bison Centre
One of the most attractive National Trust properties at Stourhead
Shaftesbury Abbey ruins
Compton Abbas Airfield.

Slightly further are:
 
The Haynes International Motor Museum
Both old Sherborne Castle and new Sherborne Castle
(the new castle being built in 1594 by Sir Walter Raleigh).
Sturminster Newton Mill
Fleet Air Arm Museum near Yeovil.

Beyond them we have:
 
Salisbury Cathedral
Old Sarum
Wilton House
Bovington Tank Museum
which has the world’s best collection of tanks and displays.
Monkey World.

There are also numerous and attractive gardens such as:
 
Minterne
Mapperton
and of course the South Coast, the city of Bath
and the Kennet & Avon Canal are not that far.

Leaflets on all these places can be found either in the Information Centre in Gillingham or at the
Tourist Information Centre in Shaftesbury.