An amazing array of steam power from across the world is set to transform a small Dorset village between August 23-27. This is the Great Dorset Steam Fair – and it provides an incredible opportunity to discover a very special part of the UK’s heritage. This is the world’s largest heritage and cultural event showcasing industrial, agricultural and leisure history – and this year it has got bigger than ever.
Every August, Steam enthusiasts make their way to the little village of Tarrant Hinton, at Blandford Forum in Dorset. It has become the largest gathering of steam traction engines and vehicles in the world, attracting thousands of visitors. This year is set to be the most spectacular event of its kind, as the Dorset Steam Fair is celebrating its 50th birthday. Over the five day period, around a quarter of a million visitors are expected to pass through the showground gates. Many of these will be staying on site within the camping and caravan areas, keen to spend as much time as possible within the vast 600 acre showground.
Over 170 acres are allocated for camping and caravanning. On some days there will be between 15,000 and 20,000 show visitors camping on site. Space is available for tents, caravans, campervans and motorhomes. All pre-paid campsites are available from 8am Sunday, August 19th and close on Tuesday, August 28th. Book fast if you want a space – demand is high!
Bear in mind that no charcoal barbeques are allowed. This has been a very hot summer, with many areas within Dorset experiencing heat wave conditions. This has resulted in tinder, dry conditions. In order to avoid fires, there are major restrictions in place.
Although caravans are not allowed overnight in the car park, visitors can pay an extra fee to sleep overnight in their cars. Although to be honest, just how much sleep anyone gets anywhere at this event is debatable! Each day the gates open early – around 8am while car parking open at 7am. Activities continue all day and late into the night, ending in the early hours of the morning.
“The GDSF will have an Outside Craft Area where you will find rope making demonstrations, wood carving, turning and wheel-righting, thatching, fencing, hurdle making, chalk walling and cider making.” [Photo/Great Dorset Steam Fair]
So what makes the Great Dorset Steam Fair so special? It has been held in Dorset every year since 1969. It began when a group of steam enthusiasts gathered together to exhibit their steam engines and put them to work. Visitors flocked to see the demonstrations, and the event steadily grew both in terms of number of visitors and the exhibits. It has become the most sought after steam event anywhere in the world – and it all started when one man had an idea. The family link still remains; the original founder’s family is still closely involved in running the Great Dorset Steam Fair.
As part of the birthday celebrations, the line up of steam engines is set to be massive. Five hundred steam engines will be making their way to Tarrent Hinton to be part of the show – and this includes engines from as far afield as New Zealand, US and Canada.
Quite apart from the spectacle of these massive engines lined up for visitors to admire, many more engines will be shown in use throughout the Fair. Steam engines will be involved in threshing corn, sawing planks, ploughing fields and hauling huge loads.
Then there is the old fashioned steam fair. Over 50 showman’s engines complete with their gleaming twisted brass roofs can be seen generating the light and power for rides such as gallopers and swingboats. Attracted by the gleaming décor and lively foot tapping music, visitors queue happily to enjoy a ride on beautifully decorated horses, cockerels and sleighs. Yet more sit back and listen to the music of the elaborate fairground organs, many of which come from the UK, Holland and Germany. Even more atmosphere is generated by the authentic 1920’s style stage shows involving traditional Can Can dancers.
Elsewhere on the site are countless vintage, veteran and classic cars, lorries, military vehicles, tractors, motorcycles and bikes as well as numerous working heavy horses showing just how skilled they are at pulling a plough or undertaking other farming tasks. Watch falcons flying in the sky as part of a falconry demonstration; discover the secrets of working sheep dogs and ferrets; or watch a Monster Truck Display Team or Xtreme Stunts. Then there are the country crafts to explore such as thatchers and cider makers, or you can stop by and chat to people exhibiting all kinds of memorabilia. Want to do some shopping? Then head for the incredible array of trade stands selling everything from WW2 items through to art, fashion and food.
“The remains of the ruined Corfe Castle in Dorset.” [Photo Credit: Tim Pestridge]
One of the very special aspects of this year’s Festival is a commemoration of the centenary of the First World War. A stunning display has been created which includes an authentic replica Western Front trench system manned by re-enactors, together with steam and historic vehicles from the 1914-1918 conflict. One of those vehicles is very special – this is an authentic replica MK 4 WW1 tank named Deborah 2. Deborah was hand built at the Norfolk Tank Museum last year by a group of volunteers and several manufacturers such as JCB as part of a Channel 4 TV documentary fronted by Guy Martin. It was built to the original specifications, although for reasons of safety a more recent engine was installed. Last November, Deborah 2 was taken out to the French battlefield of Cambrai, where tanks made their first major impact, and driven onto the site.
You can also relax and listen to music. This year’s live music festival is set to be the biggest in the event’s history with more than 100 acts performing on six different stages. One of the key attractions will be Dorset’s legendary Wurzels with their very distinctive local dialect.
Getting around the showground does involve a tremendous amount of walking. There is a Shuttle Bus facility operating a hop on hop off service around the perimeter. Bear in mind that this is a working farm, so suitable footwear is recommended.
As to what else you can do in Dorset while waiting for the Fair to start, or to explore afterwards, the answer is quite simply – a lot! Dorset is an amazing county with a beautiful coast, wonderful beaches as well as stunning countryside. There are countless villages, many with traditional thatched cottages and pretty gardens, small towns to explore and numerous historic sites.
Why not head down to the coast to explore the Jurassic coastline? This is a World Heritage Site. Just walking along the coastline, you can see layers of sedimentary rock which form an almost complete record of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods covering a time of deserts, swamps, tropical seas and ancient forests. It is a spectacular landscape with countless cliff stacks, arches, rocky cliffs as well as beautiful beaches. Stop off in Lyme Regis and learn about the story of Mary Anning, an eighteenth century girl who became the greatest fossil hunter of all time.
While on the coast, stop off at Portland Castle and discover a fort built by Henry VIII during the early 1540’s to defend against the threat of invasion from France and Spain. Another castle worth visiting has a very different history. Highcliffe Castle is a Victorian fantasy, and was deliberately designed to be very picturesque. One of its more celebrated owners was American Harry Gordon Selfridge, founder of Selfridges Department Store in London. He lived here between 1916 and 1922, and is buried in the churchyard of St Mark’s church just across the road from the castle. Visitors can explore the castle at their leisure or join a behind the scenes guided tour, giving access to unrestored parts of the Castle. The lawns and grounds are worth exploring, and paths lead down to the nature reserve and beach at Steamer Point. You can even enjoy a traditional Edwardian High tea within the Castle Kitchen tearooms.
Maiden Castle offers a completely different style of fortification. This is one of the largest and most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe, and contains huge multiple ramparts. Prior to the arrival of the Romans, Maiden Castle was home to hundreds of people who sought safety and sanctuary here.
If you like military vehicles, then head for The Tank Museum at Bovington, near Wareham where the history of the tank is brought to life. Exhibits include the feared German Tiger Tank, as well as the modern Challenger 2. There are over 300 armoured vehicles on site, and many of them can be seen in live demonstrations.
Dorset was where author Thomas Hardy was born in 1840, and you can visit his birthplace as well as the house that he designed himself. Over in Sherborne Castle, there are memories of another very famous historic person – Sir Walter Raleigh. An adventurer popular at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, a man who took part in many voyages to the New World and fought against the Spanish Armarda, he was eventually executed in the Tower of London on the orders of James I. Sherborne Castle is a very beautiful building, set among acres of stunning gardens and pleasure grounds. Alternatively try Kingston Lacy near Wimborne Minster, which was built to replicate the style of an Italian Palace. It contains a large collection of paintings by Rubens, Van Dyke, Titian and Brueghel.
Want to explore some gardens? Kingston Maurward is worth a visit. It has 12 large formal gardens where you can discover exotic fruit growing within an Elizabethan Walled Garden, hidden follies amid the Secret Garden, and an array of gentle aromas in the Japanese Garden. Forde Abbey Historic House and Garden is another site worth considering as it contains a vast array of garden styles including a Rock Garden, Great Pond, bog garden, arboretum, topiary, colorful herbaceous borders and the tallest powered fountain in England.
Fascinated by steam railways? Then head for Swanage Railway and take a trip back in time. This is an area which has influenced many famous writers including Thomas Hardy and Enid Blyton. The twelve mile journey takes you through the pretty Purbeck countryside and includes views of the iconic Corfe Castle, built by William the Conquerer. Corfe village is one of the prettiest in the county.