Dorset, my county, my home.

[DaveA]

Interesting post, H.C,

 

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Dorset is home to The Heavy Horse Centre.
Before the advent of trucks and trains, heavy horses, such as Shires, Clydesdales, and Suffolk Punches, were the primary engine of agriculture, commerce, and industry, particularly in Europe from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century.

Horses replaced oxen as the primary draught animal because they were faster and more agile. They were used to plow fields, harrow land, and pull wagons for heavy farm goods. Emerging from medieval warhorses, heavy horses were utilised for massive transportation needs, including carting up to 3 tons of coal, timber, and goods for the industrial revolution.

Before railroads, horse-drawn barges towed goods along canal towpaths, with a single horse able to pull up to 30 tons, significantly more than on roads. In cities, they powered everything from brewers' wagons to municipal services like fire engines and ambulances. Around 1900, cities like London relied on over 300,000 horses for transport. While they remained in use for local deliveries until the 1960's, the rise of motorised trucks and tractors from the 1920's onward rapidly made them obsolete. They were indispensable due to their sheer pulling power and ability to work in tandem, but were largely replaced after World War II as mechanisation improved.

You can see more of The Heavy Horse Centre by clicking on this link. It's a video of the farm where these magnificent beasts live.

 

[horseless carriage]

Wimborne Model Town isa one tenth scale replica of Wimborne Minster as it was in the 1950's, featuring over one hundred meticulously crafted, touchable shop fronts and The Minster Church.
Located on the outskirts of WImborne, Dorset the charity attraction, mainly staffed by volunteers, sits on a 2/3 acre site with mature gardens and complementary facilities, this charming volunteer-run attraction offers a nostalgic, detailed glimpse into post-war British life, set within beautiful gardens.