Discussion Group: Researching and portraying the development of local landscape, both rural and urban
Wednesday 6th September, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
Our next Discussion Group meeting will be led by Roy Canham, former Museum trustee, former County Archaeologist for Wiltshire, and regular Discussion Group contributor, and I know it will be full of Roy’s trademark energy, enthusiasm and knowledge.
The topic will be the Development of the...
Read MoreCANCELLED – Heritage Open Days – Bradford on Avon Town Walk 2023
Unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel the Bradford on Avon Town Walk on Saturday and Sunday 9th/10th September, because of the forecast of record high temperatures. Taking a large group for a walk in temperatures that might hit 30°C no longer feels like the safe and responsible thing to do.
We’re very sorry for cancelling at short notice. We hope to be able to reschedule the...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Chapel Delights – The architectural pleasures of nonconformist chapels
Wednesday 5th July, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
Our next Discussion Group meeting is on Wednesday 5th July at 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room, where James Holden will be discussing:
Chapel Delights – The architectural pleasures of nonconformist chapels, an illustrated talk with examples from Bradford on Avon and...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: A Selective History of Monkton Farleigh
Wednesday 7th July, 7:30pm, Library Meeting Room
Our speaker for this meeting is one of our Discussion Group regulars – Rob Arkell. As any of you who have been to one of Rob’s talks before will know, Rob is a great speaker and always brings us a thoroughly researched, fascinating topic. Next week will be no...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Recent Finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme
Wednesday 3rd May, 7:30pm, Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group meeting Sophie Hawke will be our speaker.
Sophie has been involved with Bradford on Avon Museum for a long time, including a 20 year stint as a trustee. Sophie has been working for Portable Antiquities Scheme as Finds Liaison Officer for Wiltshire since early 2021,...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Wiltshire Follies
Wednesday 1st March, 7:30pm, Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group meeting Jonathan Holt will be talking about Wiltshire Follies.
Wiltshire is full of follies which can take many forms – towers, summer houses, grottoes, shell houses, eyecatchers, mock ruins, temples, hermitages, obelisks, pagodas, rustic...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: The Medieval Deer Parks of the Bradford Hundred
Wednesday 1st February, 7:30pm, Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group session, Rob Arkell will be talking about The Medieval Deer Parks of the Bradford Hundred. As anyone who has attended Discussion Group in the past will know, Rob is a regular speaker and his talks are always hugely interesting and informative, so I do...
Read MoreOnline lecture on Sutton Hoo by Professor Martin Carver
Online lecture: Sutton Hoo 2021 – old stories and new adventures Thursday 28th October, 7:30 – 9pm, online (Zoom)
As we are sadly unable to have our usual annual lecture in person again this year, we have once again teamed up with Wiltshire Museum and the Saxon Church of St Laurence in a joint fundraiser to provide an online lecture...
Read MoreOnline lecture by Michael Wood
Bradford on Avon Museum, jointly with the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes and the Saxon Church of St Laurence in Bradford, is co-hosting an online lecture by the well-known historian Michael Wood on “King Æthelstan and the making of England” on 5th May 7.30-9.00 pm. Æthelstan (c894– 939) is regarded as having been the first...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: List of talks for 2020
UPDATE – Tuesday 17th March 2020
REGRETTABLY, WE ARE CANCELLING DISCUSSION GROUP WHILE THE MUSEUM REMAINS CLOSED. WE HOPE TO RE-SCHEDULE THE TALKS FOR LATER IN THE YEAR, WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.
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...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Claverton Pumping Station
Wednesday 4th March, 7:30pm, Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group session, George Eycott will be talking about Claverton Pumping Station. I do hope you can join us!
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...
Read MoreDiscussion Group Special: Local History Question Time
Wednesday 4th December, 7:30pm, Library Meeting Room
This Discussion Group session will be a little bit different to usual as it’s:
Local History Question Time (sort of Gardener’s Question Time meets Antiques Roadshow)
Our panel for the evening will be:
Roy Canham, former Country Archaeologist for... Read MoreLecture – News from the frontier: recent work on Hadrian’s Wall with Mark Corney
Friday, 8 November, 7:30pm, St Margaret’s Hall, Bradford on Avon
Announcing Bradford on Avon Museum Autumn lecture ‘News from the frontier: recent work on Hadrian’s Wall‘ with Time Team regular, Mark Corney. The lecture starts at 7.30pm, with the...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Wool, Weaving and Water Power: Bradford on Avon’s Medieval Woollen Industry
Wednesday 6th November, 7:30pm, Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group session, Rob Arkell will be looking at the development of the local woollen industry in the Bradford Hundred up to 1650, putting this in a national context. This will include wool preparation, dyeing, weaving and fulling. Rob is a regular speaker at Discussion Group, and his...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt and the Peterloo Massacre
Wednesday 2nd October, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
This year is the bicentenary of a peaceful protest that ended in violence at St Peter’s Field in Manchester. So, for October’s Discussion Group session, Derrick Hunt will be talking about Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt and the Peterloo Massacre.
Do come along to find out...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Interactive Historic Landscapes
Wednesday 4th September, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
September’s Discussion Group topic will be Interactive Historic Landscapes presented by Roy Canham and Ritchie Brown. This is an exciting new project which will allow us to create 3D representations and interpretations of the landscape through time, based on LIDAR, aerial...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: The Memorial Baths
Wednesday 3rd July, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group session, Kate Turnbull will be talking about the Memorial Baths (the old public baths) that stood on the site occupied now by the Museum. Hopefully a number of you have memories of the baths that you can share at this session too. Discussion Group covers a wide range...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Sidney Meade, Curate of Christ Church – His Scrapbook and Frankleigh House
Wednesday 5th June, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group session, Ivor and Pam Slocombe will be pooling their considerable knowledge to talk to us about Sidney Meade, his scrapbook, and his home: Frankleigh House.
Discussion Group covers a wide range of subjects, and if you haven’t been along to a session yet, do try...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: A Dry Pub Crawl Around Bradford
Wednesday 1st May, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
In this Discussion Group session, our Hon. Curator, Roger Clark, will be taking us on a (virtual) Dry Pub Crawl Around Bradford. Many of you will know that Roger wrote our Museum booklet “Lost Pubs of Bradford on Avon“, but that was published a few years ago now, and there have been...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: Stately Homes in Miniature – an introduction to Wiltshire gate lodges
Wednesday 3rd April, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
Gate lodges are amongst the most attractive of all small buildings, yet little known about. James Holden, who has recently had published a book on Wiltshire’s lodges, will illustrate their development, their place in Wiltshire history, and the wide range of architectural styles which has produced buildings...
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