From Durnovaria to Poundbury: Spirit Comes Home, as Poundbury Good Things Hop Into Dorset Museum & Art Gallery

By Poundbury Good Things lead Emma Taylor

We are absolutely thrilled to share a wonderful milestone for our community, and one filled with meaning. Spirit the hare has, quite literally, come home.

The Poundbury Good Things range is now available at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery in Dorchester, one of Dorset’s most prestigious cultural institutions. But it’s also a place that is closely connected with Spirit, our Love Poundbury hare.

Many of you already know and love Spirit and the original designs created by talented volunteer and artist Mary O’Flaherty, which capture the community spirit, heritage and connection that make Poundbury such a special place. But what you may not know is that Mary’s creative inspiration has ties deep in Dorset’s ancient story.

When Mary began sketching ideas for what would become our first Poundbury Good Things design, she discovered something extraordinary in the Dorset Museum’s collection: a tiny Roman-era hare brooch, unearthed here in Dorchester. That precious artefact became the spark for Spirit’s distinctive form and heritage.

“Hares have long been symbols of rebirth and renewal,” Mary explains. “They are part of our landscape and our shared folklore. When I came across the Roman hare brooch, everything fell into place. Spirit carries echoes of that ancient hare’s stance and round eye, whilst the symbols woven across her body honour an even older Dorset past: here I was inspired by motifs from Celtic coins found at Maiden Castle. She brings together our history, our landscape and our community’s future.”

Now, Spirit sits proudly in the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery gift shop — just steps away from the nearly two-thousand-year-old brooch that inspired her. A modern community creation and her ancient ancestor, side by side.

And this milestone also strengthens the vision at the heart of Poundbury Good Things: celebrating local creativity and raising funds for local causes.

Seeing Spirit at the Museum feels like she’s come home. We are so grateful for the support of Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, but this is also a truly satisfying and poignant moment. Spirit the Love Poundbury hare was born from Dorchester’s Roman past, created here in Poundbury, and now she returns to the place where her story began. It’s a beautiful reminder of what happens when a community believes in itself. Every Poundbury Good Things purchase supports initiatives for children, young people and those facing isolation right here in Poundbury — so she carries our home and our hope with her.

Next time you’re in town, pop into the Museum to view the ancient brooch, which can be found in the Roman display of the ‘People’s Dorset’ gallery on the first floor.

Dorset Museum & Art Gallery on High West Street is open from Monday to Sunday 10am to 5pm— a perfect local trip to explore our shared heritage, see the Roman hare brooch up close, and spot Spirit in the gift shop.

Stay up to date with exhibitions and events as well as Christmas/ New Year opening hours at @dorsetmuseum or visit dorsetmuseum.org.