The Museum has a large collection of items which show what life was like in Dorset's more recent past. Farming plays an important part in Dorset's history, and in the Social History Gallery you can see a wide range of agricultural machinery and tools, including pitch forks, hay rakes and scythes. Much of the collection was given to the Museum by Mr Jack Skyrme, who owned the ironmongers shop that used to be next door to the Museum.

Visitors can also see a superb example of a farm cart, which belonged to a farmer who declared himself to be "addicted to wagons"! Wagons were used to transport hay, and a sign board would be painted on the side with the name of the farm to which they belonged.

Cider making was also popular, and the Museum displays a cider press, which would have been used to squeeze the juice from the apples.