Events & Entertainment, Wimborne | Posted on July 20th, 2026 | return to news

Museum of East Dorset invitation to mark Cycle to Work Day

The day takes place on 6 August, and cyclists will be able to take advantage of a special treat in the tea room.

Thursday 6 August is Cycle to Work Day. To mark this occasion, The Museum of East Dorset is inviting local cyclists to pedal in for a special treat.

Anyone who visits the museum by bike on the day can enjoy a free cold, soft drink in the Garden Tea Room. To qualify, visitors simply need to present their museum admission ticket and cycle helmet. The offer is limited to one drink per person.

The day is also a chance to look back at how far cycling has come. The museum’s penny-farthing, also known as a high-wheeler, dates from 1882 and is believed to have been a 10th birthday gift for Oliver Edward Hollingworth from Witchampton. With its huge front wheel, small rear wheel and solid rubber tyres, it offers a striking contrast to today’s lightweight, geared and comfortable bicycles.

Popular in the 1870s and 1880s, penny-farthings were fast for their time because each turn of the pedals carried the rider a long way forward. They were also famously unforgiving on rough roads, earning early bicycles the nickname ‘bone shakers’. Their name is thought to come from the resemblance of the large and small wheels to the old penny and farthing coins.

Andy Putt, the museum’s operations manager, said: “Cycle to Work Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate cycling past and present. Modern bikes are designed for comfort, safety and efficiency, but our 1882 penny-farthing reminds us just how bold early cyclists had to be. We hope people will stop by on their bikes, enjoy a cold drink and take a moment to see this charming piece of local history.”