Wow, what a day! Over a thousand people came along to meet the Tudors at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, on Saturday 26^th September. King Henry VIII and his courtiers were on hand to greet visitors as they joined in the fun, meeting the crew from the Mary Rose and looking at original artefacts from Henry’s great naval ship; learning how to shoot arrows with a longbow and dress as a Tudor; and viewing some of the History Centre’s rarest documents from the Tudor period including the marriage deed of Henry VIII to Jane Seymour and a signed letter from Elizabeth I about her cousin Mary Queen of Scots, just some of the thousands of historic documents about the county contained in the History Centre.

King Henry VIII looking at his marriage deed

They were also able to check out Tudor technology with the Science Museum; have a go at our giant interactive Tudor Quiz; see how the film ”The other Boleyn Girl” was made at Great Chalfield Manor; write with a quill pen and find out how conservators freeze dry waterlogged wood. Glass painting, Tudor badge making and other craft activities were also taken up with enthusiasm by our younger visitors. Another popular attraction and predating the Tudors by a few hundred thousand years was the Stone Age hand axes. Visitors were also able to gain exclusive behind the scenes access to conservation laboratories and strong rooms.

 
One of the strongrooms only accessible during the Open Day

We were really pleased that more than 400 of the visitors were children, some came dressed as Tudors. Many were learning about the Tudors at school, so hopefully we were able to bring a little bit of it to life.  Everyone was encouraged to post a comment on our magnetic wall so please take time to read them all if you are visiting the Centre in the near future. We also asked people what they did not enjoy (we are always looking to improve) and one young visitor told us that he or she “didn’t enjoy nuffing”. So there you have it! How did our staff feel about the open day and what do you think would be a good theme for next year? Please 'read more' to find out and have your say....

Comment (0) Read More...

At our recent Open Day at the History Centre the Museums Advisory Service ran a mystery objects activity. We borrowed a selection of objects from museums across Wiltshire and challenged visitors to identify them and also to try and date them.

 
Mystery Object Number One

It was a popular activity so we thought we would give you another chance at identifying museum objects online. 'Read more' to have a look at the other two objects....

Comment (1) Read More...

In 1849 a crowd of 30,000 people gathered outside the imposing gates of Devizes prison to watch the public execution of Rebecca Smith of Bratton for poisoning her baby. Rebecca spent the night before in the prison chapel with her open coffin for company. After her execution her body is taken for burial in unhallowed grounds within the prison wall.

 
Devizes Prison Gate, 1889

Students from Wiltshire College have been investigating crime and punishment in the county as the basis for their creative writing. You can find out more by reading the prison diaries, letters appealing innocence, court room scripts and newspaper accounts that they have written. Their work will be appearing here soon and will be on display in the public search room at the History Centre in December.

Comment (0)

The third season of excavation at the Roman bath house building at Truckle Hill has just been completed.  These past two weeks have revealed a lot of surprises about what we now know were a complex of buildings in this small valley bottom location close to Castle Combe.

Pieces of Painted Wall Plaster

The aim of this season was mainly to reveal more detail about the pre-bath house building which surprisingly came to light at the end of last season. This building had some intact painted wall plaster and a column base (see earlier blog from February 2009 for photo). More of this building was revealed this season, including part of a further  partial panel of intact painted wall plaster and what could be a monumental entrance feature leading into the building from the direction of the Roman Villa which is located 100m metres away. The jury is still out about the function of this earliest building as there is no evidence to suggest is was a bath house, but could possibly have been a building for feasting and dining. The biggest surprise this season was the discovery of yet another earlier building under the bath house, meaning there were at least three buildings constructed on site, one on top of the other. The second building was larger than the first. Structural evidence points to this being a bath house with a suite of rooms, some with painted wall plaster and tessellated pavements. A further discovery was a classic late Roman t-shaped corn dryer which had been inserted into the final bath house rooms after it went out of use. 'Read more' to find out about the dating of the buildings and the additional focus of the project….


Stone Roof Tiles from the Bath House

Comment (0) Read More...