Wimborne Study Centre

Welcome to the pretty town of Wimborne

Wimborne Minster
Wimborne Minster is a pretty market town situated between the rivers Stour and Allen. The main feature of the town is the Minster Church of St Cuthburga, with its 12th century central tower. In the second (west) tower is a clock with a brightly uniformed soldier which strikes the quarter hours. There is also a 'chained' library in the Minster, one of Britain's first free libraries; the books are attached to the shelves with chains made by residents of the town's orphanage and workhouse.

Other attractions at Wimborne Minster include a model town and garden, Kingston Lacy House (owned by the National Trust), and an Art Deco theatre. The town has many specialist shops and a variety of teashops, pubs and cafés, while Wimborne Market is one of the largest and most famous open and covered markets in the south of England. The town also has literary associations with Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy.

 
Canford School
Canford School, founded in 1923, is set in beautiful parkland beside the River Stour about 15 minutes' walk from Wimborne. The School is located in Canford Manor which dates back to Saxon times. The Manor was very important in the Middle Ages, as home to the Earls of Salisbury. The Norman church and John O'Gaunt's Kitchen still remain from this period. The main building was designed in the 19th century by Edward Blore (who also designed the east front of Buckingham Palace) and Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament.

In 1994, an Assyrian frieze was 'discovered' in the school sweet shop, between a dart board and a vending machine. It was originally thought to be a plaster copy, when most of the Manor's treasures were sold in 1919, but a visiting professor recognised that it was a genuine antiquity and it sold at auction for £7.7 million (11.2 million Euros) – a record sum at the time. The funds were used to build the excellent facilities at the School.