The village of Dorchester is located between Memramcook and Sackville, in the Memramcook valley, and overlooks Shepody Bay and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, being part of the Fundy UNESCO biosphere. The World's Largest Sandpiper stands in the Village Square, carved from a single log. Nearby are the village's two museums, the Keillor House and St. James Presbyterian Church, and The Bell Inn. Built in 1811, the inn is the oldest stone structure in New Brunswick. The building was once a stagecoach stop in the 1800s, and is now a very popular restaurant, listed in ‘Where to Eat in Canada.' Keillor House was built in 1813 by Yorkshire stonemason, John Keillor. The early-Regency, stone house contains 9 fireplaces, beautiful period furniture, and a working bake oven. The nearby coach house contains antique carriages and farm tools, as well as the unique Penitentiary Collection — an intriguing array of artifacts used 120 years ago at the Dorchester Penitentiary. Built in 1884, St. James Presbyterian Church displays turn-of-the-century blacksmith's tools, carpenters' tools, unique hand tools that farmers once used to make hay and thresh wheat. The Beachkirk Collection features an insightful look into the making of textiles in the late 1800s. Exhibits cover all the processes and equipment used in making fabrics, from cutting the flax to producing the linen, and from shearing the sheep to carding, spinning and weaving the wool on antique looms.In June we celebrate our Shiretown Days, and in July the Sandpiper Festival takes place. Spend time with us in our quiet little village and discover our heritage, culture and hospitality.
Dorchester (Tantramar)
