Wareham is the only burh whose defensive earthworks remain largely intact. This makes its fortification history a clear, place-specific theme. Visible remains of a linear earthwork, attributed to the late prehistoric period or Roman times, survive on Wareham Common. The different forms of evidence help distinguish Wareham’s historical themes: the burh represents the fortifications, while the earthwork is an archaeological point of reference.
Church, museum and Lawrence connections
St Martin’s Church in Wareham dates from the 11th century. The church contains a sculpture of T. E. Lawrence, created by Eric Kennington. This gives St Martin’s Church both a clearly identifiable architectural-historical connection and a distinct cultural connection. To understand these, it is helpful to keep the two aspects separate: the century refers to the church, while the artist and the person depicted identify the artwork.
The Wareham Town Museum tells the story of the region around Wareham from prehistory to the present day and has a dedicated section on Lawrence of Arabia. Together with the sculpture at St Martin’s Church, this offers two distinct Lawrence connections: a single work of art in an 11th-century church and a dedicated museum section. The difference lies in their form and scope: the sculpture refers to one person, while the museum places Lawrence within a regional historical context spanning prehistory to the present day.
Film history at The Rex
The Rex offers a different cultural perspective. The cinema has been showing films since 1920. In 2009, it became a non-profit cinema run almost entirely by volunteers. The dates refer to different aspects: 1920 marks the start of film screenings, while 2009 refers to its non-profit status and operating model. This distinguishes The Rex from Wareham’s archaeological and church-history themes: film history and the cinema’s organisation are at the heart of its story. When choosing a cultural focus, you can therefore choose between historical evidence, regional history and cinema.
Events, food and shops
Events and activities take place at Wareham Quay, and the programme changes. If you would like to plan your trip around a particular date or event, check the event listings in advance. This lets you take the changing programme into account when planning your schedule.
Wareham has nearly 30 cafés, pubs, restaurants and tea rooms. The number and individual businesses may change. These different options provide a starting point for including food in your stay. The High Street has galleries, boutiques, and vintage and gift shops; individual shops may also change. Shopping and dining options thus complement Wareham’s cultural themes with other interests for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Buckhorn Weston, Ringstead, Canford Magna, Piddlehinton, Higher Frome Vauchurch, Evershot, Dewlish, Winkton.
For the broader travel guide: Dorset.
