Talk report – Civic Splendour

Civic Splendour - Wiltshire's Town Halls talk

August 2025 – Civic Splendour: The Story of Wiltshire’s old Town Halls – James Holden

Our speaker invited us to join him on a tour of some of the county’s finest town halls.

Town halls are a relatively recent addition to our townscapes. First came markets where folk bought and sold their produce. Next...

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Talk report – Behind the scenes at the Saxon Church

Saxon Church talk poster

July 2025 – The Saxon Chapel – Rob Arkell

The third talk in the summer lecture series was given by Rob Arkell, amateur archaeologist and historian, well-known to the Museum for his work with the Museum Research Group. In a fascinating and witty talk Rob tackled simultaneously the history of the Saxon church together...

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Talk report – Keeping it simple

Artist Robert Race on Chesil Beach with his Seaside Machine, constructed from driftwood and other debris washed up on the Dorset beach.

June 2025 – Keeping it simple: making moving toys and automata – Robert Race

Photograph by Marc Hill / 07.06.2004 – Artist Robert Race on Chesil Beach with his Seaside Machine, constructed from driftwood and other debris washed up on the Dorset beach.

On his old UK passport, Bob Race describes his occupation as...

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Talk report – A prettyish kind of a little wilderness

Talk: Jane Austen, landscapes and gardens

May 2025 – A prettyish kind of a little wilderness: Landscape and Gardens in the novels of Jane Austen – Professor Timothy Mowl

This was the first of a series of lectures organised as a joint venture by Bradford on Avon Museum and the Preservation Trust to be held monthly at the United Church. There...

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