Talk: Landscapes & Gardens in the novels of Jane Austen
The first of Bradford on Avon Museum’s series of joint talks with Bradford Preservation Trust. Professor Timothy Mowl of Bristol University, leading expert on garden history, will talk about Jane Austen and her remarks on landscapes and gardens in her novels, in this 250th anniversary of her birth.
The talk is on the 8th May at 7.30pm at the United Church in St....
Read MoreMuseum AGM 2025
The Museum’s Annual General Meeting for 2025 will take place on Thursday 3rd April at 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room. All are welcome.
Links to the Agenda for the 2025 AGM, and Minutes of the 2024 AGM, are given below:
Annual General Meeting 2025 Agenda (PDF – opens in new tab)
Annual General Meeting 2024 Minutes (PDF – opens in new...
Read MoreNew Museum booklet
As a follow-up to his previous 2021 booklet Bradford-on-Avon Probate Inventories 1550-1700, Ivor Slocombe has now gone on to compile the list for the next century. Inventories of the possessions of people who had died were required for a while in order to complete probate. They give a room-by-room account of what the assessors found and their valuation of each item or group of...
Read MoreWinter closure 2024-5
The Museum has now closed for its customary short winter period. As usual, we hope to do some deep cleaning, touching up the paintwork, replace worn or tattered labels and generally refresh the Museum. This is also the only real opportunity in the year in which it it is possible to get things out, spread them about and think about what needs to be done.
We hope to see you after...
Read MoreDiscussion Group talk: Somersetshire Coal Canal – An update on the origins, recent past and current restoration.
A summary of the history of this interesting local canal and work in progress, led by Derrick Hunt
Wednesday 4th December 2024 at 7.30pm in the Library meeting room.
Discussion Group covers a wide range of subjects, and if you haven’t been along to a session yet, do try it out.The meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month except January and August, at...
Read MoreDiscussion Group talk: A history of Bradford floods
Bradford has probably always been afflicted with flooding of the River Avon. Danny O’Callaghan will lead the November Discussion Group talk on the subject on Wednesday 6th November.
The meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room, and are FREE to members. Non-members can attend one session before being asked to join. If you...
Read MoreDiscussion Group Talk: Thomas Fuller, designer of Bradford on Avon Town Hall & national architect of Canada
Julian Orbach, architectural historian and Museum Trustee, will be delving into the life and works of architect Thomas Fuller (1823-1898), including Bradford’s Town Hall and Canada’s Parliament building in Ottawa.
Wednesday 4th September 2024 at 7.30pm in the Library meeting room.
Discussion Group covers a wide range of subjects, and if you haven’t been...
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Discussion Group talk: The Study of Medieval roof tiles and other roof furniture.
Jane Mann and Becky Clarke have been studying medieval ceramic roof tiles and other parts of roof-coverings from archaeological sites around Wiltshire. Not Just plain tiles, but the more complex tiles that lined the ridges of roofs, usually ornately carved and glazed. They will be joined by historian Martyn Whittock who will give a short history of the medieval Clarendon Palace near...
Read MoreSpecial Exhibition: Eric Walrond, a Harlem Renaissance writer in 1940s Bradford on Avon
Saturday 16th March – Sunday 7th April, 10am – 4pm daily at the West Barn, Barton Farm Admission free
Bradford on Avon Museum, in conjunction with the Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust, is pleased to announce our special exhibition for 2024: Eric Walrond, a Harlem Renaissance writer in 1940s Bradford on Avon.
Regarded as a major literary figure of...
Read MoreOpening again for 2024
From 14.00 on Wednesday 17th January 2024 Bradford on Avon Museum resumes its normal timetable of opening. There has been the usual programme of deepish cleaning, replacing of some dog-eared and out-of-date labels, a lick of paint here and there and the hundreds of glass bottles in the old pharmacy shop have been been dusted ready to receive visitors.
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Museum’s winter break
Bradford on Avon Museum has closed for its usual annual break and will re-open on Wednesday 17th January 2024 at 2pm. In the meantime it will be having a spruce-up and a bit of re-arrangement.
We wish you all a very merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the New...
Read MoreDecember Discussion Group Meeting: Recent Work at the Tithe Barn
Our next meeting is 7-30pm, Wednesday 6th December in the Library Meeting Room. John Samways has kindly agreed to report on recent work at the Barton Farm Tithe Barn. Look forward to seeing...
Read MoreNovember Discussion Group meeting: Bearfield Church
Robert Beesley will present a summary of his work at Bearfield Church, where he has been examining the burial ground and baptism records. He will also outline the history of the church and its congregation.
7-30pm on Wednesday 1st November, in the Library Meeting Room as usual.
We hope you can join...
Read MoreAnother Bradford-made Clock
The Museum now has a third clock that was made in Bradford on Avon.
This one, signed by Edward Hopkins, is just the face and movement, without the long case in which it would have originally been housed. It has a brass face that is decorated with figures representing the four seasons in the spandrels (corners). Behind the face is an eight-day movement that drives hours, minutes...
Read MoreMuseum re-opening for 2023
After a brief winter break, Bradford on Avon Museum is starting the New Year by re-opening from 14.00 on Thursday 19th January 2023.
We wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year
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Visiting the...
Read MoreNew Museum book: Rowley-Wittenham
The deserted village of Rowley is now represented by earthworks just to the south of the modern village of Westwood. It and another adjacent manor called Wittenham became depopulated during the late medieval and Tudor periods and eventually, in 1882, the land was transferred from the Hundred of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire to the parish of Farleigh Hungerford in Somerset.
In...
Read MoreNew Museum book: A vanished world
Following on from Dan Farrell’s histories of Bradford on Avon’s pioneering rubber industry, Riding on rubber and Rubber town, comes Margaret Dobson’s social history of the works and the way it dominated the life of the town.
A vanished world is on sale at Ex Libris bookshop in the Shambles and will be available in the Museum when it...
Read MoreClosing for the winter break
As usual at the end of November, Bradford on Avon Museum has closed for its short winter break.
This is our opportunity to do some maintenance, cleaning and touching up the paintwork. Although it is getting to be more and more difficult in our small space, it may be possible to make some changes to the display cases and squeeze in a few more objects. It is also an opportunity to...
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