Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) has played a creative role in bringing Dorset’s ancient history to life this autumn as part of Uncovering Roman Wimborne, a free two-day Roman Heritage Weekend taking place at Allendale House, Wimborne.
Organised by volunteer-led community group Historic Wimborne CIC, the event focuses on the historic Lake Farm fortress. Situated less than a mile from Wimborne town centre along the River Stour, the 40-acre site stretches across the valley and extends underneath the A31 and roundabout at Lake Gates.
The massive military stronghold was established following the Emperor Claudius’s invasion of Britain in AD 43 and housed over 5,000 men under the command of future emperor Vespasian.
Although the site was first discovered in 1959 by archaeologist Norman Field, its true scale remained unclear until a Bournemouth University survey in 2016 revealed the full extent of what lay beneath the fields: a fortress large enough to house an entire legion.
The upcoming exhibition will highlight the fortress and the Flavian emperors, alongside Roman living history displays, hands-on archaeology, and a children’s coin design competition where the winning entry will be struck as a real solid silver coin.
Entrants are invited to design one side of a coin, imagining what it might have looked like around the time the Romans first arrived in the area, incorporating the year 2026 into their artwork.
The reverse side of the coin has already been designed to represent Historic Wimborne, depicting Alauna, the Celtic goddess of flowing water, whose hair cascades as a stream to symbolise the River Allen and the continuous flow of local history (tempus fluit – time flows).
Anatol Just, a Senior Technician from AUB’s Innovation Studio, will bring his specialist technical expertise and practical craftsmanship to the project, taking the winning student design and physically striking it as a real, solid silver coin using traditional and precision techniques.
The solid silver is being donated by Wimborne jewellers, Ockenden & Hemming, who'll carry out the final polishing and finishing of the bespoke winning coin, while Gulliver’s Bookshop will provide book token prizes for all three places (£20 for first, £15 for second, and £10 for third place).
A panel from AUB and Historic Wimborne will shortlist 10 finalist designs, with project volunteers and contributors voting for the top three winners.
“Many people who live here have no idea there's a Roman fortress right on our doorstep," says Robert Rodway from Historic Wimborne CIC, "and even fewer realise just how big it was. We hope this exhibition gives people a chance to properly understand its scale, and just how significant it was in the Roman invasion of Britain.”
Uncovering Roman Wimborne is supported by a Culture Catalyst Micro-Commission as part of Wimborne Town of Culture 2026, with academic input from Bournemouth University’s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology.
The event will take place from 10.00–16.00 on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026.
