Executed for arson. Transported for asking for fair pay. Given six months hard labour for stealing clothes. 200 years of justice, injustice, crime and punishment are brought to life at Dorchester's Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum.

Recently refurbished with a £1.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, match-funded by West Dorset District Council, the museum is run by the Shire Hall Trust, a charity set up as part of the redevelopment. The new immersive museum enables visitors of all ages to explore the history of law and order, as well as past and present efforts to achieve justice for all people.

The building is Grade I listed and the refurbishement was undertaken by Philip Hughes Architects.

The Fire Surgery provided total fire engineering from concept design to assisting with operational fire safety management.

We addressed all heritage fire safety challenges expected in a Grade I listed building. A particular challenge was the wheelchair users evacuation from the basement cells.