Discussion Group talk: Horton House excavations and the origins of Bradford
The topic for the May meeting, led by Roy Canham, will be the excavations at Horton House in Church Street that were carried out by the late Adrian Powell in 2000 and the beginnings of Saxon Bradford. Work on writing up these excavations has been undertaken by the Museum Research Group and Roy would like to take this opportunity to summarise progress to date. Hope you can join...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: list of talks for 2024
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 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 know of someone who isn’t a member, do bring them along –...
Read MoreDiscussion Group: A selective history of Broughton Gifford
Wednesday 7th February, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
Our speaker for this meeting is Discussion Group regular, Rob Arkell. Rob’s talks are always fascinating and thoroughly researched. Following on from the success of last year’s ‘A Selective History of Monkton Farleigh’, in this session, Rob will be leading us through ...
Read MoreAnnual Fundraiser Guest Lecture: Analysis of human remains from archaeological sites
Time Team and Wessex Archaeology osteologist Jacqueline McKinley will present this year’s lecture at St Margaret’s Hall, Bradford on Avon on Wednesday 22nd November. She is one of the leading experts in this country on osteoarchaeology, the study of human remains and on burial rites, with experience in the field dating back to 1977.
The bar opens at 7.00 pm and the talk...
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 MoreDiscussion 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 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 MoreDiscussion Group: list of talks for 2023
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 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 know of someone who isn’t a member, do bring them along –...
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...
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