Wareham could soon become the UK centre to honour one of Britain’s greatest war heroes, after plans to transform a disused town bank into a cultural hub took a major step forward.
Wareham Town Council has bought the former NatWest Bank on North Street, which has been empty since 2018, and now plans to use a £750,000 loan to expand the town museum and create a dedicated tourist information centre there.
The Purbeck owner of a Brough motorcycle likely owned by Lawrence of Arabia has displayed it at his grave in Moreton, near Bovington
Lived his final years in Dorset
The purchase – which will be funded in part by a one-off £50 per household council tax precept – marks the first stage of a wider project that council leaders say will safeguard the town’s heritage while helping to revitalise its economy and attract more visitors.
Wareham’s expanded museum will tell the story of two men with Purbeck links who were both voted into the definitive 2002 list of Greatest Britons, World War One hero Lawrence of Arabia and King Alfred the Great.
The Army officer who led Arabs to overthrow the Ottoman Empire, turning the tide of World War One, lived his final years in Dorset, dying at Bovington in 1935 after a motorcycle accident near his home at Clouds Hill.
Extra space at the extended museum may give Wareham an opportunity to showcase major exhibits, such as one of Lawrence’s beloved Brough motorcycles, which is owned by a Purbeck enthusiast.
Under current plans, the refurbished building will house expanded exhibition galleries, improved visitor facilities and flexible learning spaces designed to support school visits.
The project will also include a permanent tourist information centre, providing a central location where visitors can learn about local attractions and events.
The former NatWest bank in North Street was bought with part of a £750,000 Government grant
“Significant milestone for Wareham”
Mayor of Wareham, Zoe Gover, said:
“We are delighted to confirm that the purchase of the former NatWest building at 2 North Street has now been completed.
“This is a significant milestone for Wareham and the result of years of careful planning and determination.
“Securing this building gives us the space and certainty we need to move forward with expanding the museum, creating a dedicated tourist information centre and improving educational facilities.”
An artist’s impression of how the new Wareham Museum might look
“Long term vitality of town centre”
Zoe Gover added:
“It is a practical investment both in Wareham’s future and in the long term vitality of our town centre.
“The former bank building has stood largely unused for several years, occupying a prominent position in the heart of our historic town.
“Redeveloping the site will not only give the museum room to grow but also transform the appearance and use of an underutilised part of the high street.”
TE Lawrence pictured inset with Nesib El Bekri during the First World War Arab Uprising
“Long and varied history”
Town clerk and financial officer Nicola Gray said:
“Securing 2 North Street is a major step forward for Wareham, which will give the town museum the space it needs to properly tell the story of one of England’s most important Saxon towns, with its long and varied history.
“It will also be able to embrace its new role as the recognised national centre for T.E. Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – following the transfer of the T.E. Lawrence Society Collection from Oxford.
“This purchase opens the door to improved educational facilities, better visitor services and a dedicated tourist information centre.
“It also means more opportunities for local schools, more reasons for visitors to stay longer in Wareham and greater support for our local businesses. Most importantly, it keeps the town’s history firmly rooted within the community.”
The west section of Wareham’s Saxon wall, the oldest feature of the town
Saxon sword found in 1927
Wareham Town Museum, currently based at East Street, is already home to a wide range of archaeological and historical artefacts charting human activity in the area from prehistoric times through to the modern era.
Among the museum’s notable exhibits are Roman-era pottery produced locally in Wareham, displays exploring the town’s Saxon past and reconstructions of tools used in Iron Age shale working.
The oldest features in Wareham are the town walls, ancient earth ramparts surrounding the town, likely to have been built by Alfred the Great in the 9th century to defend the town from the Danes.
Regardless, the Danes invaded and occupied Wareham in 876, and only left after Alfred returned with an army and made a payment of Danegeld.
The museum features a reproduction of a Saxon sword found buried in the mud of the River Frome in Wareham in 1927, which dates to the late 900s and bears an inscription showing it belonged to nobility or royalty.
It is the centrepiece of a display about Saxon Wareham which includes silver pennies minted in the town in Saxon times.
A marble effigy of T.E. Lawrence is in St Martin’s Church, Wareham
Bullet from 1917 train ambush
Another major display celebrates Lawrence of Arabia, who spent his later years living at Clouds Hill near Bovington and frequently visited Wareham.
The Anglo Saxon church of St Martin’s in Wareham, dating back to 1030, has a marble effigy of the man who helped Arab tribes to defeat the Turkish empire in World War One.
The museum itself holds a range of documents and artefacts connected to his life and legacy, including a bullet from a 1917 train ambush led by Lawrence himself and has produced its own documentary exploring his final years in Dorset.
Town officials say the museum’s growing role as a centre to commemorate Lawrence of Arabia – who was voted into the top 60 greatest Britons of all time by a BBC poll in 2002 – can be fully explored with the additional display and storage space.
Wareham Town Hall will soon be part of a cultural hub, with an extended museum and a tourist information centre
Host more weddings and events
The new building’s strong rooms – originally constructed for secure banking storage – are expected to be repurposed to house museum collections safely.
Alongside the museum expansion, the council is also planning changes to the current museum site at 3 East Street.
Once the museum relocates to North Street, the building is expected to be refurbished to create improved council offices and a community space available for hire.
Council leaders say this reorganisation would also allow Wareham Town Hall to host more weddings and events, bringing additional income and activity to the town centre.
Wareham Museum is also home to Kimmeridge Woman, a facial reconstruction from a 2,000 year old skull found there
Make bids to the National Lottery
The project has been financed by a £750,000 loan from the Government, repayable over 20 years, and the town council will now make bids to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other grant providers to support the refurbishment programme.
The project has been in development for several years and has involved public consultation with local residents in which two-thirds of respondents supported the proposal to buy the former Nat West bank.
When asked whether they would still support the purchase if it required a precept of around £50 in the town council’s portion of council tax for a Band D household, more than 50 percent were still in favour.
Further information
- Explore what the Wareham Museum currently has to offer on its website
