This competition is proudly sponsored by Minuteman Press, The Duchess of Cornwall Inn, CG Fry & Son Builders, Rolls Landscaping and Duchy of Cornwall
Through Your Lens
Poundbury Photography Competition
Entries Are Now Closed - Thank You!
The entry period for Love Poundbury Through Your Lens has closed, and we're overwhelmed by the fantastic response from photographers, capturing Poundbury through so many different perspectives—from architectural details to community moments, from spring landscapes to creative experiments.
To everyone who entered: THANK YOU. You've made our first community photography competition something genuinely special. Your photographs tell the story of Poundbury as it's experienced and lived in, and we can't wait to share them with the community.
What Happens Next
Until early June: The Judges Deliberate
Our three expert judges Jane Norman, Chris Frost, and Jamie Clark—are reviewing every single entry across our four categories plus the Youth Category. They're looking for creativity, originality, and technical skill, but most of all photographs that genuinely capture something special about Poundbury.
On Monday 8th June 2026, we'll announce:
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5 category winners (Architecture & Urban Design, Landscapes & Natural Beauty, Community & Everyday Life, Creative Perspectives, Youth Category)
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Runners-up
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Highly Commended
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Each category winner receives a prize worth up to £100 + a large 16"×20" canvas print of their winning photograph. There will also be a prize for the Runner's up.
8-21 June 2026: Exhibition at The Duchess of Cornwall Inn.
The 12 best photographs overall will be printed, framed and exhibited at the Duchess. Every image will be available for sale, with proceeds supporting the Lexi May Trust, the Duchess of Cornwall Inn's chosen charity. You don't need to have entered the competition to visit the exhibition - come celebrate Poundbury's creativity with us!
The Photo Mosaic Reveal
We're also creating something unique: a photo mosaic where every competition entry becomes a tiny tile, and when all are arranged together they form one large iconic Poundbury image—a multitude of perspectives coming together to create the bigger picture. This will be unveiled on 8 June and displayed throughout the exhibition period.
People's Choice Award
During the exhibition (8-21 June), visitors to the Duchess of Cornwall Inn can vote for their favourite photograph: simply pick up a voting slip at the Duchess, choose your favourite from the exhibited photographs, and drop your completed slip in the voting box.
Two prizes will be awarded: the photographer whose photograph receives the most votes wins the People's Choice Award, and one visitor will be randomly drawn from all voting slips to win a Poundbury Good Things hamper plus a £25 gift voucher for the Duchess of Cornwall Inn.
Both winners will be announced on Monday 22nd June at the close of the exhibition. Everyone who visits the exhibition can vote - you don't need to have entered the competition to participate!
About the Competition:
Love Poundbury Through Your Lens invited amateur photographers to capture what makes Poundbury special through four distinct categories plus a Youth category:
Architecture & Urban Design - Poundbury's built environment, from Georgian façades to unexpected details
Landscapes & Natural Beauty - Green spaces, seasonal changes, the River Cerne, weather, wildlife
Community & Everyday Life - Daily moments, people gathering, the pulse of Poundbury life
Creative Perspectives - Experimental, abstract, unexpected - making the familiar strange
Youth Category (16-18 years) - Young photographers' unique perspectives across all themes
The competition was open to anyone with a photo of Poundbury, with the simple goal of seeing this part of Dorchester through as many different eyes as possible.
Our Judges
Three experienced photographers are generously volunteering their time and expertise to judge the competition:
Jamie Clark—photographer and local creative bringing fresh perspective
Chris Frost—Professional photographer with years of experience capturing Dorset
Jane Norman—Designer and photographer known for her distinctive creative work
Thank you to our judges for the considerable time and thought you're giving to every single entry.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
This competition wouldn't exist without the generous support of local businesses who believed in this vision and backed it with real commitment:
Major Sponsor: Minuteman Press Poundbury has been our champion from the beginning, providing our promotional materials, printing the winning photographs professionally gallery quality for the exhibition, and creating the 16"×20" canvas prizes for our category winners. David and Juanita Prince saw the potential in this community initiative and made it possible. Thank you for your incredible support.
Category Sponsors:
CG Fry & Son—Architecture & Urban Design Category: CG Fry has been building Poundbury since the beginning. Their sponsorship of this category is perfect symmetry - the builders supporting celebration of the built environment.
Rolls Landscaping—Landscapes & Natural Beauty Category: Rolls is shaping Poundbury's green spaces, planting trees, maintaining the gardens and landscapes that make this place breathe. Their sponsorship of the natural beauty category honours the work they do every day.
Duchess of Cornwall Inn—Community & Everyday Life Category The Duchess sits at the heart of Poundbury's community life, and they're hosting our awards ceremony and exhibition, providing the space where we'll celebrate together. Thank you to the entire Hall & Woodhouse team.
Minuteman Press Poundbury—Creative Perspectives Category Minuteman's second category sponsorship reflects their understanding of the creative process from concept to finished product. They're bringing creative visions to life throughout this competition.
The Duchy of Cornwall—Youth Category The Duchy's sponsorship of the Youth Category carries special meaning - investing in the next generation's relationship with Poundbury, supporting young photographers to capture their perspective on this place. Thank you to the Duchy team.
Supporting the Community: All profits from this competition will support the Lexi May Trust and community causes in Poundbury—photography with purpose
Questions:
For any questions about the competition and exhibition, please contact: David Kingman (david@artattheduchess.com)
We'll be sharing updates once the winners have been selected, and throughout the exhibition period. Please follow us on social media!
Thanks to Minuteman Press, Your Local Printer, for printing all the promotional materials, final photographic artwork, and prizes of canvas prints for the winning entries
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