It’s a Dog’s Life
It's a Dog's Life by Sally Hendry... Imagine being able to take a peek into a eighteenth century kitchen - and no ordinary one at that. Research into the history of the Lopes Arms for a planned book on Westbury inns turned [...]
Storms and the mystery fern leaf!
by Sally Hendry... Being among those hardy playgoers who were quite literally drenched to the bone at Heywood House gardens this past weekend got me thinking about storms past and present. A most extraordinary story from Westbury was circulated in [...]
West Country Myths, Legends & Superstitions
Why do we remember King Alfred for burning the cakes? What were the footsteps in the snow? Who were the Angels of Mons? What was the Somerset Tsunami? Eccentric squires and nutty nobles, Black Dogs and Dead Maids. In this illustrated talk, Tony Painter - [...]
Votes for Women!
by Liz Argent ... The small advertisement caught my eye as I was looking for something else in a newspaper from February 1911. Miss Pankhurst was to speak at the Laverton Institute in Westbury on the 17th and Miss Annie Kenney [...]
Given in Evidence
Crime and Punishment in Wiltshire 1828-1906 About 3000 sworn statements of the accused, the victims and the witnesses of minor crimes survive for this period. They offer a unique source of incidental detail about the lives of ordinary people of the time. This is another [...]
Hospitals, healthcare and home remedies
Did you know Westbury has had no less than three hospitals? And have you ever wondered what our ancestors did when they couldn't afford a trip to the doctor? Find out more about everything from how Westbury funded their own hospital to home remedies you [...]
Christmas 1850 at Fontainville
By Sally Hendry... Decorating our Christmas trees is a favourite tradition but you might be surprised to learn that Westbury could have been one of the first places in Wiltshire where a tree was decorated for the festive season. That's all thanks to James [...]
The best days of our lives?
By Brenda Pyne... Welcome to what is the first of Westbury Museum’s blogs – we hope you will enjoy the subjects we choose. With the children going back to school after their summer break, we found an item in our collections which we [...]