What's On at Athelstan Museum
Local Collectors
The museum runs a programme of exhibitions and would like to include local people's collections. These displays will usually run for two months. If you collect something and would like to showcase it in the museum please contact Sophie Scruton - Collection Co-ordinator.
From Malmesbury to Hersfeld - The Story of Saint Lullus 710-786
Enthusiasts at Athelstan Musuem were intrigued by the story of the 'Lullus Festival', Germany's oldest festival to celebrate the life of Saint Lullus who came from Malmesbury and died in Bad Hersfeld.
The new exhibition in the museum discovers how Malmesbury was connected throughout Europe from as early as the eighth century.
Research led by Kimberly King.
The BBC History Magazine is to hold a History Weekend in Malmesbury Town Hall over the weekend of Friday 25 - Sunday 27 October 2013
This is a really exciting event for not just the Museum and Town Council, but the whole town, a real opportunity to get us national publicity and boost our visitor numbers. There are leaflets both on the museum front desk and in the TIC, please draw these to the attention of all our visitors and encourage them to think about coming. Shortly there will be a more detailed brochure which will also be available to give out to anyone interested.
The opening lecture will be on King Athelstan and will be given by Michael Woods and Sarah Foot. Further information is available on the dedicated website www.historyweekend.com where you will also be able to buy tickets, as well as find more information. There is also a telephone number for tickets 0844 871 8819
Athelstan Museum and BBC Project
The Athelstan Museum joins the launch of the BBC Your Paintings project.
This marks the completion of the Public Catalogue Foundation's project of recording all oil paintings in public collections and making them available on-line and in print form. There are 210,000 in total.
A new exhibition in the Athelstan Museum shows the 11 oil paintings from the collection, featured on the BBC website and it also exhibits two paintings loaned by Malmesbury Town Council which are also part of the catalogue. The whole catalogue for Wiltshire and Gloucestershire is available to browse in the museum.
On the BBC website, there is a chance to 'tag' the images with keywords describing things in the pictures. The museum, is giving visitors the chance to take part in this activity by writing comments on luggage tags and pinning them below the paintings. Young people who visit during half term will be encouraged to take part in this activity and the on-line tagging project.
The Viking Raid on Malmesbury
A local artist, Peter Bland has produced original artwork to help us picture the attempted raid on Malmesbury by the Vikings in 878.
The Iron Age Querns found in 2012
The iron age querns found during the excavation at St Joseph's School are now on display.
The stones are so heavy that two people can only just lift them together, so the strength and skill involved in creating this flour-milling tool, can only be imagined.
The archaeologist thinks that one stone was broken during manufacture, at the time of the Iron Age, and was discarded on the site. However, another is an undamaged example of a Quern stone. Two such rounded stones were worked together using a pole in the middle that was pushed backwards and forwards to create the grinding action.
Athelstan Museum is grateful to St Joseph's School and the Avon Archaeological Unit for this recent gift.