The Museum collecting policy
The geographical collecting area
Bradford on Avon Museum, like other museums, has a fixed collecting area. This covers all those pieces of land that were once part of the Hundred of Bradford -the modern parishes of Atworth, Bradford, Broughton Gifford, Holt, Limpley Stoke, Monkton Farleigh, South Wraxall, Westwood, Wingfield and Winsley. In addition, there is the small manor of Rowley which was transferred to Farleigh Hungerford, and parts of the tithing of Trowle which were transferred to Trowbridge in the early 20th century.
The Museum will only accept objects which have a strong connection to this area. Other things will be referred to more suitable museums when possible.
Large and heavy objects could present the Museum with great difficulties and so they may, reluctantly, have to be declined, as will those things for which the need for conservation is beyond the Museum’s practical and financial means.
Archives
The Museum is not in competition with the Wiltshire & Swindon Records Office in Chippenham and will not collect major archives. However, it will accept some small bundles of old papers and is interested in any photographs of the collecting area and its people, if only to make copies.
Archaeology
The Museum has neither enough space nor other facilities to collect the numerous objects that come from full archaeological excavations; those carried out in the area normally go from the excavators to the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. The Museum will happily accept casual finds, as long as it is with the agreement of the owner or occupier of the land they are found on and do not fall under the definition of treasure.
Natural history
The Museum is not able to conserve items of organic material such as plants and animals, with the possible exception perhaps of skeletal material and shells. It will not accept anything that is restricted by conservation laws, especially not birds’ eggs. The Museum is keen, however, to collect photographs of natural history taken within its collecting area.
Geology
The Museum will accept fossils, minerals and rock samples from the geographical area, as long as it is with the agreement of the owner or occupier of land they are found on and do not violate any site conservation laws.