Brand-new event, Home of Hillforts and Henges, has kicked off in Dorchester today (Thursday), celebrating a landscape rich in earthworks and the people that have lived her for more than 6,000 years.

Activities, lectures and talks will take place at multiple locations across the town before concluding with Hengefest on July 31 at Maumbury Rings.

From 10am to 4pm you can enjoy meditation, fire lighting, basket weaving, storytelling, nature crafts, wild foraging, viking axe throwing, animal handling, nature trials, live music, performances and much, much more.

Here's what's taking place during the event: 

Activities

Thursday, July 21 - Event launch, special open evening: Museum After Hours at Dorset Museum, 5pm to 7pm, free entry

Saturday, July 23 - Viking Print Making Workshop, 10am to 12noon, at Dorset Museum

Sunday, July 24 - Celtic Art Craft Sessions, 10.30am to 12.30pm, at Dorset Museum

Monday, July 25 to Friday, July 29 - Archaeological Dig and Meet the Archaeologist, 10am to 4pm with last entry at 3pm, at Max Gate

Thursday, July 28 - What's Under Max Gate? Livestream from 5.30pm to 6.30pm with Martin Papworth, National Trust archaeologist, Harriet Still, Hardy's Wessex, and David Dawson, Wiltshire Museum

Sunday, July 31 - Hengefest, 10am to 4pm, at Maumbury Rings

Lectures at Dorset Museum from 7pm to 8pm

Thursday, July 21 - The Ridgeway Vikings with Heather Tamminen

Friday, July 22 - The Extraordinary Prehistoric Landscape Under Your Feet and up the Hills with Steve Wallis

Monday, July 25 - The Magic and Myth of Water Meadows with Dr Kathy Stearne

Tuesday, July 26 - The Durotriges Project with Paul Cheetham

Wednesday, July 27 - VIP Archaeology: From the Neolithic to the Medieval, the Archaeology o the Dorset Visual Impact Provision with John Boothroyd

Thursday, July 28 - Anciently a Manor: The Medieval Manor at Lower Putton Lane, Chickerell with Dr Claire Randall

Friday, July 29 - Hidden Patterns in the South Dorset Landscape with Jonathan Harwood

Walks

Saturday, July 23 - The History and Mystery of Maiden Castle, 10am to 12noon, with Gary Biltcliffe, author and researcher

Saturday, July 23 - Nature Walk: Poundbury Hillfort and The Great Field, 2pm to 4pm, with Miles King, People Need Nature

Sunday, July 24 - Dorchester Archaeological Dowsing Walk, 10am to 11.30am, with Peter Emery, retied field archaeologist

Sunday, July 24 - Outer Casterbridge - Hardy and History: Neolithic Earthworks, Roman Durnovaria and Much More, 1pm to 6pm, with Mark Chutter, Thomas Hardy Society

Sunday, July 24 - Nature Walk: Maiden Castle, 2pm to 4pm, with Miles King, People Need Nature

Saturday, July 30 - Tour of Dorchester Water Meadows, 2pm to 4pm, with Ian Gosling, Dorchester Civic Society

The event is part of the National CBA Festival of Archaeology 2022. Find out more here.