The Walnut Gallery

30/08/2026

After a wonderful summer exhibition, it’s time to refresh our walls! 🖼️✨

🍂 Please note that The Walnut Gallery will be taking a short break and will be closed from 31st August to 4th September while we are busy rehanging the space.

🎨 We are thrilled to announce that our new Autumn Exhibition officially opens on 11th September.

Keep an eye on our posts for a few sneak peeks behind the scenes! 👀

01/08/2026

Check this out
Register now
Art in Poundbury is looking forward to painting in the sunflowers 🌻 this August at the Dorset Sunflower Trail at Maiden Castle and, by doing so, being part of such an incredible initiative to raise money for Dorset County Hospital Charity – specifically Dorchester County Hospital’s Emergency and Critical Care Appeal.
Dorset Sunflower Trail at Maiden Castle Farm

In amongst the famous Sunflower Trail🌻, artists will be able to pick their spot amidst the Sunflowers, or look towards unadulterated views of Maiden Castle in one direction and Poundbury in the other.

Registration Now Open
https://artinpoundbury.co.uk/events/art-in-the-sunflowers-2026/
There will be three prize categories – all courtesy of Parkers Property Consultants
Experienced artist ’16 and Over’ – £100 cash🌻 Highly Commended £50
Enthusiast artist ’16 and Over’ – £100 cash🌻 Highly Commended £50
Young artist category ‘6 to 15’ – £30 Herrings Art Supply voucher 🌻 Highly commended £20 Herrings Art Supply Voucher
and the fantastic opportunity to exhibit the winning work in Dorchester County Hospital for all categories.

Sunday 2nd August
Entry and registrations from 10am.
Refreshments and facilities on site.


Your are welcome to bring a picnic.

Venue: Maiden Castle Farm DT2 9EYSAT NAV
Postcode: DT2 9PP, Latitude 50.702166, Longitude -2.463648 (OS Grid Ref SY66973 89072)
What3Word: sunflower.badminton.basher

By Bike
The National Cycle Network Route No.2 passes next to the Dorset Sunflower Trail Field

By Foot
There are Footpaths and Bridleways around Dorchester which provide a beautiful walk to the Dorset Sunflower Trail

By Car
From both South and North direction, follow the A35, take the A354 into Dorchester Town, follow the Brown Tourist Road Signs to Maiden Castle
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13/07/2026

What an incredible year it has been for the Poundbury Rotary Club & Casterbridge Rotary Club, Dorchester, Dorset Young Artist Competition!

Our theme, “Happiness in Nature,” inspired an outstanding collection of artwork from talented young people across Dorset. The creativity, imagination and skill on display made judging an incredibly difficult task. We were delighted to receive 100 entries.

🏆 Congratulations to all of our local winners and runners-up, whose artwork was showcased at our exhibition.

👏 We are especially proud of our District Winners, Zayn in the Junior category and Ida in the Senior category, who went on to represent our clubs at the next stage of the Rotary Young Artist Competition as National Finalists.

⭐ Reaching the national competition is a fantastic achievement, and our clubs are incredibly proud of you.

A huge thank you to every young artist who entered, the families who supported them, our judges from Art in Poundbury, The Walnut Gallery and the Art in Hospitals Charity, and everyone who visited the exhibition and donated to our Dorset County Hospital Charity Hospital A&E Appeal.

The success of this competition has inspired us to do even more, and we’re already looking forward to launching the 2026/2027 Rotary Young Artist Competition.

🎨 If you enjoy drawing, painting, printmaking or mixed media and are aged under 18, we’d love to see your work in our next competition. Keep an eye on our page and local schools for details of the new theme, entry dates and our next exhibition.

Who knows? You could be our next local winner… or even a future national finalist!

08/07/2026

We are delighted to welcome Stella Bawden-Hollis to The Walnut Gallery.

A Dorset artist, Stella creates expressive abstract landscapes inspired by the sea. Spending countless hours beside, on and in the water, she captures its ever-changing moods, energy and light through layered mixed media, expressive mark-making and a palette rich in blues.

Inspired by sketches, photographs and direct experience, her intuitive process balances observation with spontaneity, creating vibrant, atmospheric paintings that evoke the feeling and essence of a place.

We look forward to sharing Stella’s beautiful collection as part of our Four Artists – High Summer exhibition 11th July - 29th August.

We hope you’ll come and experience her work in person!

02/06/2026