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Wimborne, Dorset

Wimborne Minster (often referred to locally as Wimborne) is a market town in the East Dorset district of Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town.

The central town has a population of 6,418 (Census 2001) and is situated at the confluence of the River Stour and River Allen, five miles north of Poole.

The Mayor of Wimborne is currently John Burden, who has held the position since May 2009. The previous mayors of Wimborne were Robin D. Cook and Anthony Oliver, respectively.

The town and its administrative area is served by eleven councillors and one from the nearby ward of Cranfield. Wimborne is twinned with Valognes, France and Ochsenfurt, Germany.

The architecture of Wimborne is regarded as one of the foremost collections of 15th, 16th and 17th century buildings in Dorset. Local planning has restricted the construction of new buildings in areas such as the Corn Market and the High Street, which has preserved almost all of the original buildings.

The most interesting examples of English architecture include the centuries-old Wimborne Minster, the Town Hall, the Priest's House Museum and dozens of original 16th, 17th and 18th century fronted shops and pubs. The town is also home to the Tivoli Theatre, a 1930's art deco cinema and theatre.

Wimborne Minster Church. This is a Saxon Church, with Norman and Gothic architecture. It is famed for its unique chained library and the tombs of King Ethelred, the brother of Alfred the Great, as well as the tombs of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and his duchess, the maternal grandparents of King Henry VII of England.

Wimborne Model Town. The model town is one of the largest and most established model towns in England. It depicts Wimborne at the time it was made, in the 1950s. It is at 1/10 scale, so the model of the Minster is several feet high.

The shop windows accurately show the goods the shops were selling at the time. The exhibition also includes a model railway based on Thomas the Tank Engine, which was opened by Christopher Awdry. Children are invited to complete a quiz sheet (there are several, graded by age).

Every summer in June the town holds the Wimborne Folk Festival. Founded in 1980, the annual event of Traditional Folk Dance and Song has become the focal point for the largest gathering of dance teams and musicians in the South of England.

The festival is considered by many to be the town's major event of the year and is highly regarded nationally as one of the largest events of its kind in the country. The festival involves Morris Dancing.

The regional festival is attended by over 15,000 people across its weekend with parts of the town being closed to traffic.

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