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

Come and discover Thornbury’s own ‘Captain Sharpe’!

In the words of the creator of our latest exhibition, Ben Mallett:

“With tales of firefights, adventure, bravery and romance, see the life of Thornbury’s very own Captain Sharpe. A true international adventure as our hero sees the Caribbean, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Canada and Belgium. Buried in St Mary’s Church and a previous resident of Kyneton House, Maclaine is a local legend whose story you do not want to miss.”

Find out more here.

The Town Hall is flying the flag for the Museum!

We’re delighted to see the Museum flag fluttering from the Town Hall today.

A lovely blue sky too!  What’s not to like?

Visit us this Bank Holiday Monday!

As well as Rosemary Millar’s beautiful jewellery, which we’re hosting as part of the Severn Vale Art Trail, we also have the work of two other talented local artists on show.

Jane Marks is demonstrating just how colourful and creative you can be with recycled materials.  Her wall hangings are a colourful feast for the eye!

And young (very young) Noah Rowberry is also displaying a selection of his very accomplished acrylic and watercolour paintings. They’re inspiring.

See more information about Rosemary Millar’s jewellery display here.

We’re a stop on the Art Trail…

… and as well as Rosemary Millar’s lovely silver and gold jewellery incorporating semi-precious stone, there’s a whole local museum to explore – for FREE!

We’re open for five full days from 10am to 4pm from Thursday 30 April to Monday 4 May, so do make the most of this chance to check out your local museum.

You can read more about Rosemary’s art work here. 

We’re part of the Thornbury Arts Festival!

We’re part of the Thornbury Arts Festival!   But, unfortunately, the museum-led tour of Thornbury, showcasing the places associated with local benefactor Handel Cossham, sold out very early on!

However, you can check out all the Thornbury Arts Festival events, as well as an amazingly varied range of other events being hosted by The Armstrong, which re-opens this month. The Cossham Hall was donated to the town by Handel Cossham and this is your chance to check out the newly refurbished Cossham Hall, bar and foyer, as The Armstrong’s fantastic 2026 season starts.