The Museum of East Dorset is inviting local cyclists to pedal in for a special treat on Cycle to Work Day, Thursday 6 August, celebrating both modern cycling and a most eye-catching bicycle in its collection: a penny-farthing dating back to 1882.
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 and is open to anyone enjoying a ride and visit to the museum on that day.
Cycle to Work Day is the UK’s biggest celebration of everyday cycling, encouraging people to swap the car for two wheels and enjoy the health, wellbeing and environmental benefits of travelling by bike.
At the Museum of East Dorset, 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 tenth 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.
“Cycle to Work Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate cycling past and present,” said Andy Putt, Operations Manager at the Museum of East Dorset. “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.”
The Museum of East Dorset is located on Wimborne’s High Street and is home to collections exploring local life, childhood, trades, agriculture and domestic history across East Dorset. The Garden Tea Room, set in a beautiful walled garden, offers a welcoming place to pause, refresh and enjoy the museum surroundings.
Here’s our former curator, Mark Neathey, talking about the penny-farthing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rYxvf5g4Kw
