Three new information signs are to be unveiled in Dorset's county town to connect the locations with its long history.   

Today at 11am, the Mayor of Dorchester, Cllr Alistair Chisholm, along with members of Dorchester Joint Heritage Committee will be unveiling three new information signs.

The signs will be put up along the Millstream path off London Road and down towards Mill Street.

The signs will tell of the history of the area from Roman occupation through to the Victorian era, with a focus on the Old Malthouse, iron foundry and Mill Street community.

The Old Malthouse is thought to have been built around the 1780s, with Dorchester Ale in its heights around the 1850s. An interactive QR code will appear on the sign to guide tourists to its history experienced by its owners, the Galpins.

The Galpins were a big family in the town, and John Galpin, established the ironworks in the town around 1837 to make farming tools for work in the water meadows. The foundry was still active, changing its production to manhole covers before it was closed in 1988.

The new sign for the community of Mill Street delves into the history of the disease outbreaks in the town. It also references the Dorset-based author Thomas Hardy’s accounts of Mixen Lane, which was described in the Mayor of Casterbridge novel. In the early twentieth century, a mission and housing society were set up which is also retold on the sign.

The signs were funded by the Joint Heritage Committee and following the unveiling ceremony, local historian Mark Chutter will provide a short, guided tour of Fordington.

Cllr Alistair Chisholm, Mayor of Dorchester, said: "These signs will enhance the profile of Fordington and the work that Reverend Moule did with his wife to stop the spread of nasty diseases in what was very much a slum area of the town. 

"It's part of pushing the rich heritage of Dorchester to show that there is plenty in Fordington - if we did not have the foundry for instance, then we would not have been able to create and access amazing things whilst other towns had to send overseas for tools and weapons at the time.

"It will add to the interest in walking around the town and there is now always the potential to find out more with the QR code on the signs."

All of the community are invited to attend and find out more about the heritage from this part of Dorchester.