The Prisoner of War camps of Westbury
A talk by local historian, David Jenkins, on the prisoners of war held in Westbury during WW2
Series of free mini talks
A series of mini talks by local historians on a variety of subjects
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 - [...]
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 [...]
Napoleon and Waterloo
From humble beginnings on Corsica to Emperor. This fascinating talk by Andrew Field tells the story of Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power and ultimate defeat, his achievements and personality. Andrew served as an army officer from 1977 until 2019. Since retiring, his passion has been [...]
Last Orders! A History of Westbury’s hostelries
Last Orders! A History of Westbury's Hostelries. It's festival time again in Westbury and once again, we are bringing a fascinating talk to festival folk. Local historian and chair of the Museum, Sally Hendry, is taking us on [...]
The Pliosaurs of Westbury
The Pliosaurs of Westbury. We are very excited that in August, we will be holding an exhibition in the museum to showcase the copy of the lower jaw of the Pliosaur that was found in the Westbury claypits [...]
How Great was Alfred the Great?
How Great was Alfred the Great?. It's a "great" question! Come along to our talk on Tuesday, 28th June to find out. We welcome Martyn Whittock who will be looking back to the sixteenth century when interest in [...]