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Happy New Year! Thank you to everybody for your support in 2009. We're looking forward to an exciting new year in 2010.
New Exhibition:
From 19 January to the end of March 2010
Archaeology & Landscape in South Gloucestershire
Our new exhibition will show how you can 'read' history by looking at features of our local landscape. Come and find out all about it! See the What's On page for more details.
Museum gains Accredited status!
We've been celebrating since the Museum received an official letter and certificate from the MLA (Museums Libraries Archives Council) saying that we have been awarded the status of an Accredited Museum.
The MLA's Accreditation Scheme sets nationally agreed standards for UK museums. To meet the requirements, we had to demonstrate that we achieve standards relating to how the museum is governed and managed, how we provide services and facilities for users of and visitors to the museum, and how we care for and manage our collection.
We are particularly proud of this achievement since Thornbury and District Museum is an entirely volunteer-staffed organisation. The whole museum operation is a team effort and we have been awarded this because of the way we all work together. Some volunteers have worked at the museum for a long time and are very experienced but new volunteers join us all the time and everyone has had a part to play in achieving this outcome. Small is beautiful - and successful! Thank you to everyone who helps out in any way at the museum!
New display boards
Thank you to South Gloucestershire Council Small Grants and to the Friends of Thornbury & District Museum who have provided funds for this project. We used the New Year period to install display panels with loop pile fabric covering in most of our exhibition rooms so that display material can be quickly and easily mounted using Velcro. So we are hoping to say goodbye to drawing pins, fishing line and tacks, staple guns, bruised fingers and broken nails!
"Spirit of Thornbury" - the sculpture
This last part of the Thornbury Millennium Heritage Trail has now been completed and formally unveiled by our MP Steve Webb on Saturday 27th June 2009.
The bronze sculpture by Stephen Daniels shows a representation of the central part of Thornbury in the year 2000. It is cast in bronze by the 'lost wax' method and is both an attractive work of street art and a tribute to the dedication of generations of people whose community spirit created our historic town. You can find it next to the Town Hall in Silver Street, just off the High Street. The sculpture is mounted on a plinth of Forest of Dean sandstone, which is very similar to one of the stones used in many of our local walls and buildings. The plinth also contains the time capsules prepared by local schools in 2000 for future generations, not to be opened for 100 years.
Placing the time capsules into the structure Image © T&DHT
New books for sale
New titles appear regularly, so do drop in and browse in the museum shop. Hand coloured prints of the Harry Lane tithe maps for Thornbury and other parishes are available framed to order. They, and lots of other items, would make good birthday presents. For more details, see the Museum Shop page.
Supporting Thornbury in Bloom
The museum was proud to support Thornbury's entry into the National Britain in Bloom competition after the wonderful success last year. We are in the process of developing our Roman themed garden in our small courtyard. We have already been given a sapling Olive tree by Riddifords in the High Street and some herbs for our containers by the Thornbury Garden Shop. The courtyard is now clear and the project can get underway. We will include plants used by the Romans and plants brought to Britain for the first time by them, such as turnips!
The museum's affiliated groups:
The History Research Group meets at 7.30 pm in the URC Thornbury on the first Thursday of each month. Next meetings October 1st, November 5th.
The Thornbury Geology Group meets at The Chantry at 7.30 pm on the third Thursday of each month. Next meetings September 17th, October 15th.
The Archaeology Group meets in Oldbury or on site most weeks by arrangement. Please contact the museum if you are interested in this.
New members to all groups are welcome, just come along or contact the museum for details. Further details at the bottom of this page.
The Thornbury Roman Coin Hoard
Our exhibition tells three stories, one about this special Roman Coin Hoard, 11,460 nummi, a second about how it was found in Thornbury, and a third story about the journey from discovery to display.
A hoard of 11,460 small coins, from the time of Constantine the Great, were found in a back garden in Thornbury. A small number has been loaned to us by Bristol Museum where the main bulk of the hoard can now be seen in a new display and interpretation station.
Nummi were the lowest denomination Roman coin and were made from copper alloy with a tiny trace of silver. Why were there so many in one earthenware jar? Who left them there?
What were they saved for? What would have marked the spot in the 4th century? Why did no one come back for them? Unfortunately we do not have any of these answers!
Image courtesy BMAG
Thornbury Museum is now 22 years old
Read about the history of the museum by collecting a free fact sheet from the museum shop.
Trying to be green
We recycle as much as possible; paper, cardboard, glass, plastic containers, metal, obsolete computer parts. We reuse envelopes, wood, computer parts, paper, anything we can find a home for. We reduce energy consumption as far as possible in an old building and reuse as much paper as possible before recycling waste. We use environmentally friendly cleaning materials and free trade coffee and walk and cycle as often as we can.
Research
The Thornbury Museum Research Group now meets at the United Reformed Church on the first Thursday of each month at 7.30 pm to exchange, request and chat about photos, documents, snippets, anecdotes, or anything to do with the history of Thornbury, its homes and families and trades and professions. Please use the side door on Rock Street. Wheelchair access is not a problem, as we can open the main door on Chapel Street if necessary.
The Thornbury Geology Group meets at The Chantry on the third Thursday of each month at 7.30 pm. Members bring along any interesting specimens they have collected either locally or sometimes from distant countries. We discuss latest events and developments in Earth Sciences, and have a regular spot for beginners to find out more about any topic they like. We welcome beginners, amateurs and professionals equally!
The Archaeology Group has finished evaluating the finds from the excavation at The Chantry in 2006 and is now preparing a report and also investigating a new site. Please contact the museum for more details.
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