Lest We Forget

Our museum is supporting The Armstrong in their ‘Lest We Forget’ event on Sunday 8th November 2026, 12 to 3pm, by providing a small exhibition in the Cossham Hall, commemorating local heroes and their stories.

Read more here. 

Many of our ancestors were probably servants…

… and the ones who worked in the poshest places may have laid out a Victorian table like this.

Our latest exhibition, designed to coincide with the Heritage Open Days Festival and its theme of ordinary people’s working lives, investigates the lives of domestic servants in Thornbury and the surrounding area.

Some were employed in the big houses and Thornbury Castle, others in more humble households, where a maid or perhaps a gardener might be employed.

During the Heritage Open Days period, the museum will be open during normal visiting hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 1-4pm, and Saturdays 10am-4pm, and entry is FREE.

The exhibition will continue after the Heritage Open Days festival finishes (right up until Sat 19 December), and can be seen upstairs in the museum.

Discover more about the exhibition here. 

Discover how the Town Hall was used as a police station from 1860

Thornbury Town Hall is opening its doors for a Heritage Open Day on Saturday 12th September, with this year’s theme of ‘Everyday Histories’ focusing on the police families who once lived in the building.

Before becoming the home of Thornbury Town Council, the Town Hall was a police station and provided accommodation for police families. Visitors can discover what everyday life was like for these Victorian families and see historic drawings showing how the building was laid out as a home, including living quarters and bedrooms.

Volunteers from the Museum have been pleased to work with Thornbury Town Council to create displays and activities which will bring the stories of the Town Hall’s former police station residents to life.

Children can create and decorate paper dolls, while the Council Chamber will offer a glimpse into its former use as a Victorian magistrates’ court.

Go along to the Town Hall and discover the people, families and everyday lives behind Thornbury Town Hall’s history on Saturday 12th September 2026 from 10am to 2pm. No booking necessary – just pop in and enjoy a free guided tour!

thornburytowncouncil.gov.uk/

Young volunteers at the museum

Here are three of our younger volunteers – Kierri, Isabel and Ben – who have been working very hard and enthusiastically at the museum this year, showing lots of imagination and initiative.

They’re pictured here on the day of the official launch of Ben’s exhibition, ‘Hector Maclaine – Die Hard in Spain’.

Discover more about Ben’s exhibition here.

‘Die Hard in Spain’ exhibition officially launched!

We recently officially launched our latest exhibition, ‘Hector Maclaine – Die Hard in Spain’, which has been curated by Ben Mallett, a third-year student at the University of West of England, who has been on placement at the museum.  (Ben can be seen on the left of the picture above.)  Ben’s tremendous enthusiasm for researching the history of the Peninsular War, in which the Duke of Wellington and his army fought Napoleon’s troops, led him to all sorts of discoveries about local Thornbury participants in the military action.

The result has been a new exhibition, put together by Ben with the support of the museum.  We welcomed Helen Ball, Mayor of Thornbury, and many other guests to the launch and the exhibition was officially opened by Rose Wallis, Assoc. Professor of British Social History at UWE and Ben’s tutor. Rose (on the right, in the picture below) is quite frequently seen in an expert capacity on TV programmes such as ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, ‘Britain Behind Bars: A Secret History’ and ‘Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club’.

We are grateful for all the work that Ben has put in and delighted that he has been having such an enjoyable time at the museum.  Everyone here has been very buoyed up by his enthusiasm!

Thornbury man in fight against Napoleon

There’s lots to see in Thornbury & District Museum’s new exhibition!

It’s all about Hector Maclaine and his involvement in the Duke of Wellington’s campaign against Napoleon on the Iberian Pensula.

Find out more about Thornbury’s own Captain Sharpe – and discover the Die Hard connection!

Find out more here.

A snapshot of Thornbury in 1900

We were delighted to participate in Thornbury’s Heritage Craft Fayre on Saturday 18 July, when the Town Hall was specially opened so that people could see the Thornbury Quilt on display in its permanent home, upstairs in the Town Hall.  Town councillors and museum volunteers were on hand to share its story and answer questions about the Quilt.  More than 270 people had the chance to see it.

If you missed out, you can still see the Quilt any Wednesday during Town Hall opening hours.  It is displayed in the upstairs exhibition room. There is an easy-to-use interactive audio-visual display unit which tells the story of the quilt and many of the people and businesses featured on it.  Just pull up a chair and settle in!

Thornbury Town Council say:

“Feel free to pop into the Town Hall on a Wednesday to see the fascinating quilt and to learn more, using the interactive equipment. Thank you to Thornbury & District Museum for all your work in creating this outstanding exhibit.”

Hector Maclaine – Die Hard in Spain!

Don’t miss out on our exciting new exhibition!

Captain Sharpe meets Bruce Willis….

Find out more here.

Thornbury Town Council and Thornbury Museum Begin Exploring Potential New Museum Home

Thornbury Town Council and Thornbury Museum are working together to explore the potential of creating an exciting new location for the museum.

The Council has agreed to begin feasibility work to explore whether the Bakery Annexe, located just behind the Age UK building on Thornbury High Street, could become a new home for the museum. The work will look at whether the building is suitable and what would be needed to make the project a reality.

If the project proves possible, the Bakery Annexe could provide the museum with a new, larger and more sustainable home in the heart of Thornbury, helping to protect its future, make it easier for residents to enjoy the town’s history, and attract more visitors and tourists to the town.

Founded 40 years ago, Thornbury Museum has been preserving and sharing the history of Thornbury and the surrounding area. The project also builds on the ambitions set out in Thornbury’s recent Town of Culture bid, which highlighted the importance of investing in the town’s culture and heritage.

A spokesperson for Thornbury Museum said:

“Founded 40 years ago, Thornbury Museum faced an uncertain future earlier this year. Exploring the feasibility of this new location offers the exciting possibility of delivering a significantly enhanced Arts Council accredited museum service for the town. Thornbury & District Heritage Trust looks forward to working closely with the Town Council and warmly recognises its enthusiastic support for the project.”

Mayor of Thornbury, Helen Ball, said the project reflects the Council’s commitment to Thornbury’s cultural future and builds on the ambitions set out in the Town of Culture bid.

She said:

“The museum development formed part of our bid for Town of Culture. We want to celebrate and promote Thornbury, and exploring a new home for the museum is an important first step.”

The Town Council and Thornbury Museum will now work together and look forward to sharing further updates as the project develops.

Invitation to Tender

T&DM is seeking to appoint an experienced consultant to:

• Undertake an options appraisal of the museum’s future
• Explore a potential relocation opportunity
• Develop a clear, evidence-based strategy and recommended way forward.

The resulting report will form the basis for future funding applications and strategic
decisions.

Please find the Invitation to Tender here:

Thornbury_&_District_Museum_Options_Appraisal_-_Invitation_to_Tender