dorset

Archaeologists are to investigate the site of a former bowling alley thought to hold evidence of a town's medieval origins.The former MFA Bowl building in Weymouth occupied one of the earliest parts of Melcombe Regis which was founded in the late 13th Century.Preliminary investigations in 2022 revealed at least one medieval property in St Nicholas Street.The site has now been cleared for development and the dig, led by Context One, is expected to begin in January or February…

Organisers of a popular seafood festival say it will return to its original venue in 2026 and will be free to attend.Dorset Seafood Festival has been running in Weymouth for 17 years but was cancelled in 2025 due to repairs to the peninsula sea wall.The 2026 festival will take place on a "smaller scale around the harbour, near Weymouth Peninsula" over two days on 4 and 5 July.The entry fee, introduced in 2022 to help cover costs, will…

The head chef of a superyacht drowned after falling from a quayside in the south of France following a night out drinking, an inquest has heard.Flinn Sessions, of Wimborne, Dorset, was working on the Atlantico yacht, moored at La Ciotat, near Marseille, on 9 June 2023.An inquest at Bournemouth heard the 22-year-old visited several bars with crew members and workers from other boats and was seen drinking beers and shots.Coroner Brendan Allen told the hearing his friends had…

A wall is being reinstated at a crematorium to stop people using it as a shortcut after "significant disruption" was caused to funeral services.Part of the boundary at Weymouth Crematorium was originally removed to allow maintenance access from Shirecroft Road.But Dorset Council said "significant concerns" had been raised about the "lack of privacy and reverence" during services due to people cutting through.Access for mourners will be unaffected.Health and housing councillor Gill Taylor said: "It is important for us…

A speedway team just one race from potentially securing three major titles have been forced to put their final back due to forecast wet weather.Poole Pirates were set to host the Redcar Bears in the BSN Series final second leg at Wimborne Road, Poole, at 19:30 BST.The speedway team said due to the "predicted adverse weather conditions" it had been put back to Friday, adding: "We apologise to any fans who may have made advanced travelling arrangements but…

A crash has closed a stretch of a main Dorset route in both directions. The A35 is shut between the A37 Monkeys Jump Roundabout, near Dorchester, and the A3066 for Bridport following the crash overnight near Askerswell.National Highways said police were on the scene carrying out complex investigation work and that the road was expected to be closed for several hours.Traffic is being diverted onto the A37 and A356 with drivers urged to allow extra time, re-route or…

BBCThe King Tiger tank is the oldest in the world and needs to be fully rebuilt insideAn ambitious £1m plan to restore one of World War Two's most formidable tanks has been launched by a Dorset museum.The King Tiger tank has been in the collection at The Tank Museum, in Bovington, since the 1950s.But it was incomplete when it arrived, and was later stripped of its remaining parts during the 1980s to facilitate another restoration. The team at…

Rachel RussellSouth of EnglandListen: Chris Wood, chair of the Dorset Police Federation, said the new service will help officers "decompress from seeing traumatic incidents"A police chief has shared how "incredibly challenging" working in the force can be after recent figures showed 211 officers in Dorset were signed off last year.Chris Wood, chair of the Dorset Police Federation, said he has had to take time off for stress and also revealed his wife, a serving police officer, is currently…

A couple found dead inside a campervan while attending a festival in the New Forest were "vibrant, kind, and devoted", their family has said.Christopher Coll, 45, and Kayleigh Coll, 38, both from Blandford Forum in Dorset were pronounced dead at the scene on Pound Lane, Burley earlier this month.Hampshire Constabulary said the deaths were being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious.A family tribute said: "Their loss has left an immeasurable void in the lives of all who loved…

Visible Women/Denise DuttonCritics said the cat in the picture shared by the charity did not resemble SusieCampaigners working to install a statue of a Dorset novelist with a cat at her feet say they have been upset by "unpleasant" comments about the animal's appearance.Visible Women crowdfunded for a life-size bronze of Sylvia Townsend Warner to sit in Dorchester's South Street, with the cat based on a locally famous feline, Susie.But messages about the animal's lack of resemblance to…

Ellie CleverleyPolitics SouthBBCJacqui Scott, CEO of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation, says they are unable to meet the demand for local grantsA charity that assess the needs and distribute grants to other charities says so many have applied for support it can only help about one in 10 applicants.The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) receives money from philanthropists, businesses and donors that want to help their local community.With an annual budget of…