Play about poet's life revived to help fund archive

The archive is kept at the Dorset History Centre

A play about a 19th Century poet is to be revived to help fund the cataloguing of his archive.

Dorset dialect poet William Barnes bequeathed his writings, woodcuts and engravings to the county museum that he co-founded in 1846.

The William Barnes Society hopes to raise £35,000 to catalogue the collection so it can be accessed anywhere in the world.

The revival of The Year Clock, written by society vice president Tim Laycock, is among a number of fundraising events planned to support the project.

The fundraising campaign is being supported by Dorset Archives Trust - the charitable arm of the Dorset History Centre where the archives are kept - and Dorset Museum.

William Barnes was born in Bagber in 1801 and, as well as being a writer and poet, he was rector of Winterborne Came parish where he was buried following his death in 1886.

A bronze statue of him stands outside St Peter's Church in High West Street, near the museum he helped establish.

Society chairman Brian Caddy said the project would "ensure a lasting legacy of our much-loved Dorset poet for all to enjoy and appreciate".

Dorset Museum director Claire Dixon said William Barnes was an important part of the museum's story as well as the history of the county.

"The opportunity to catalogue this collection will mean more people can connect with his story and discover the important artefacts and materials associated with Barnes' work and life," she said.