The oldest part of the building, a stone and flint house, was probably begun in the early sixteenth century. The south wing was added in the early seventeenth century and a brick-built service range in the early eighteenth century. Hilda Coles (1907–1987), granddaughter of the first ironmonger, owned the building, and with the Wimborne Historical Society opened a small museum and library in 1962. The building was restored in partnership with East Dorset District Council at the beginning of the 1990s. Inside a series of displays was developed, in 10 rooms now open to the public today. Some reflect the history of the building, the people who have lived and worked here, and the domestic and shop settings from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. Permanent and changing exhibitions showcase the social history and archaeology of the wider East Dorset area.