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Places to stay in Gillingham
Gillingham, the most northerly town in Dorset, has a long history, as the Longbury Barrow (a mile north-west of the church) dating from the New Stone Age can testify. In the 2nd and 3rd century AD, Romans and Romano-British people lived in the area of Gillingham, leaving remains which are still being discovered and uncovered today. However it was the Saxons who really established the North Dorset town. The town is also a shopping centre for a large surrounding area and its facilities include two large modern supermarkets and a wide range of assorted retail and service businesses. A new library with a large book stock has recently been completed in the Chantry Fields development. Three primary schools within the town feed the recently rebuilt and excellently equipped Comprehensive school catering for education through to A level courses. The town has a Youth centre. An annual event is the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural show now held on its permanent showground at Motcombe - mid way between the two towns. Sports facilities are available at the North Dorset Leisure Centre which has an indoor swimming pool, squash and badminton courts, sports halls and a fitness suite. A six rink indoor bowling club is complemented by a long established outdoor bowling green. The Gillingham Football Club and North Dorset Rugby Football Club both have grounds and modern club houses. The Comprehensive school has an all weather floodlit pitch available for hire for football and hockey matches. Anglers are catered for at Lodden lakes and the active fishing club has rights over several miles of river bank around the town. Nearly 100 clubs and societies thrive within Gillingham to cater for interests and pastimes for all age groups.
