Dorking Museum andHeritage Centre

Dorking Museum and Heritage Centre occupies part of the former Dorking Foundry site just off West Street, telling the story of the town and surrounding villages from prehistory to the present. The idea began in 1945 when Captain Evelyn Broadwood gathered local support for a collection, which grew to include the Ashcombe Collection of fossils and minerals donated after the death of Lord Ashcombe. The museum opened on this site in 1976 and has been rebuilt in stages since, most recently in 2012. It is funded by donation and run day to day by volunteers, with free entry. Displays cover local geology, prehistory and trades, alongside changing temporary exhibitions. Opening hours are limited to Thursday afternoon and Friday and Saturday mornings into the afternoon, in keeping with its volunteer staffing.