Collections highlights - recently added
Many of the objects in our collections have fascinating stories to tell. Here are just a few ...
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Jerusalem – a play by Jez Butterworth
Read moreJerusalem – the play by Jez Butterworth – is set in the village of Flintock, which is based on the Wiltshire village of Pewsey. It
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Roundway Abbess
Read moreIn around 670AD, a important Saxon lady was buried on Roundway Down, close to Devizes. She was laid to rest on a wooden bed, wearing
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The Marlborough Bucket: a masterpiece of Celtic art
Read moreThe Marlborough bucket is no ordinary bucket! It was created to be the centrepiece of tribal gatherings and held over 100 litres of wine or
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School medal awarded at Frances Elliott’s School for Young Ladies
Read moreSilver school prize medal inscribed Mrs Elliott’s Ladies Boarding School, Devizes on one side and A Reward of Merit from Mr Burgess, teacher of dancing
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Jadeite Axe
Read moreThis axe is made of jadeite, and has been brought from high in the north Italian Alps. The ‘signature’ of the stone has been analysed
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Devizes Castle
Read moreDevizes Castle features on the town’s crest and looms large in this market town’s history, but you would be forgiven if you walked past without
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Amber Necklace
Read moreLady with the Amber Necklace A stunning amber necklace, finely decorated gold plaque, gold pendant and a string of drum-shaped beads are among the precious
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Bush Barrow Lozenge
Read moreThis man, buried close to Stonehenge, was given Britain’s richest Bronze Age burial in around 1950 BC. Described as a ‘stout and tall man’, he
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Wilcot Hoard of Roman vessels
Read moreWe have just acquired an important hoard of four bronze vessels, probably buried at the end of Roman Britain, 1,600 years ago. They vessels were
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Alfred Cunnington’s Private Telephone System
Read moreThis is the earliest commercial telephone in Britain, made by Alfred Cunnington in 1877 to connect his wine merchant business at the Old Town Hall
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Shepherds’ hut with Stonehenge on the horizon
By UnknownRead more19th century oil on board, depicting Stonehenge, with shepherds in foreground. Artist unknown. While being cleaned, it was discovered that the image of Stonehenge is a
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Far from the Madding Crowd – 1967 film
Read moreMany scenes in the 1967 film of 'Far from the Madding Crowd' were shot in Devizes. The production turned Devizes Market Place back in time
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Collection of Melksham photographs
Read moreVolunteer Anna has taken an indepth look at one of her local towns, Melksham. She has discovered photographs of the area in our archive. Melksham,
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Microscope belonging to William Cunnington III
Read moreWilliam Cunnington III was the driving force behind the founding of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society in 1853. He was the grandson of
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Holy Cross Church, Seend
Read moreStudent volunteer Anna takes a look at Holy Cross Church in Seend... Holy Cross Church, is a Grade 1 listed church (in 1962), funded by
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39-41 Long Street – who lived here before the Museum?
Read moreThe Wiltshire Museum is housed in 5 buildings - 2 Georgian town houses, a Georgian school, a Victorian entrance and a 1980's gallery. The buildings
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Portrait of Peggy Piggott (Peggy Guido) by Frank Griffith
Read morePortrait of Peggy Piggott by Frank Griffith (1889-1979), painted in c.1938. Peggy Guido was President of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, jointly with
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Tourmaline axe-head
Read moreVolunteer Olly gives us an insight into one of his favourite objects in the Museum... This beautiful artefact is a perforated axe-head of tourmaline granite,
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Society Trumpet
Read moreUsed on outings of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society to call the group back together! In the Victorian period, the outings lasted for
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Saxon coin pendant – Edward the Confessor
Read moreSilver Anglo-Saxon penny of Edward the Confessor, modified into a pendant. The penny was struck by the moneyer Beorhtwine at the Wallingford mint. It is
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Colchester brooch
Read moreRoman copper alloy Colchester derivative developed T-shaped brooch, probably dating to AD 75-200. An unusual find with lead inlay. Found in Bremhill, 2019. Donated to
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Roman armilla
Read moreFragment of a decorated copper alloy Roman penannular bracelet, probably the terminal of an armilla, dating to AD 43-99. Similar bracelets have been identified as
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Roman coin hoard
Read moreHoard of 2,384 Roman copper-alloy coins from Pewsey. The group consists of mostly 4th century (330 – 348 AD) nummus and a small number of
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The Story of George Hartford: Watercolour of Stanton St Quintin Church
By John BucklerRead moreIn this beautiful watercolour by John Buckler, you can see the church at Stanton St Quintin, Wiltshire. Despite its beauty its graveyard holds a tragic
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Sarsen stone cutters goggles
Read moreThese steel framed goggles were used by the Free family who had a sarsen stone cutting business at Fyfield from the 1850s to 1939. Sarsen-working
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