Collections highlights
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George Eliot and Devizes
Read moreDuring work in our Library and Archive, one of our volunteers discovered some interesting connections between George Eliot and Devizes. Newspaper cuttings of Eliot’s visit
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Thomas Lawrence – the ‘go to’ Georgian portrait painter from Devizes
Read moreThomas Lawrence was born in Bristol in 1769 and moved to Devizes in 1773, when his father became landlord of the Bear Hotel. Devizes was
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Bush Barrow dagger
Read moreThis dagger was buried with the Bush Barrow Chieftain who died in about 1950BC. The blade is made of bronze but the pommel is one
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Musical instrument made from human tibia
Read moreWorked bone tube, recently identified as being a musical instrument. It is made from a human femur which has been significantly scraped out. There was
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First use of a trowel in Archaeology – Bush Barrow
Read moreWhen asked about the first use of a trowel by an archaeologist, we had to tell the fascinating story of the excavation of Bush Barrow,
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First use of a trowel in Archaeology – Bush Barrow
Read moreWhen asked about the first use of a trowel by an archaeologist, we had to tell the fascinating story of the excavation of Bush Barrow,
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Richard Sandell’s Bracket clock
Read moreThis bracket clock has pride of place in the Long Room of our Library. It has not worked for many years, but has been restored
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Upton Lovell Shaman
Read moreShamanism is where people are regarded as having access, and influence, in the world of good and evil spirits. Typically, such people enter a trance
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Roundway Abbess – gold and garnet necklace
Read moreIn 1840, a barrow on Roundway Down was excavated to reveal a Saxon woman buried with various items, including a coin and a beautiful gold
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White Horse – dummy Puffin book by Eric Ravilious
Read moreIn 1939 Eric Ravilious was commissioned to create a Puffin book for children about the chalk downs and White Horses. He began a 'dummy' of
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Norah Ussher
Read moreIn 1979, Alexis Taylor was sorting through her Great Aunt Norah’s belongings after her death. In a chocolate box titled ‘A present from Weymouth’ she
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The tale of Wiltshire Moonrakers
Read moreUS WUR CLEVERER THAN ‘E-AH, US DIDDLED ‘E ALRIGHT. In a pond up ‘Vizes way – smugglers ‘ad ‘idden a keg ‘o brandy & us