Massive coup for Trowbridge Museum's Magna Carta festival- a talk by historical novelist Elizabeth Chadwick

Coming to Trowbridge Museum in July- award-winning, best-selling author Elizabeth Chadwick! Elizabeth will talk about  her work and her medieval hero of the Magna Carta era, William Marshal. There will be a book-signing after the talk open to all-comers but the talk itself will be a ticket only event so book soon to avoid disappointment! Contact katherine.white@trowbridge.gov.uk or call 01225 751339.

And the Magna Carta exhibits just keep on coming...

You can't walk through Trowbridge Town Centre at the moment without seeing a "Trowbridge, Magna Carta Baron Town" poster. The town has really embraced the history of their Magna Carta hero, Henry de Bohun, and the recent conference on the subject attracted hundreds of people.

Our current exhibition, "Magna Carta- Game of Barons" now features some new exhibits produced by local U3A members. There is bunting showing the devices of a number of barons appointed to ensure the terms of Magna Carta were carried out (note Henry de Bohun's distinctive blue shield), a banner representing medieval Trowbridge and its baron,a wonderful medieval lady with her sewing and a sword and shield for the life-size maquette of Henry de Bohun.

Pop over and visit the Museum in the Mall (The Shires, Trowbridge). We aim to be fun, friendly and, best of all, we are most certainly FREE!

Medieval Laverstock jug

Trowbridge Museum is now displaying discoveries from not one, but TWO former royal palaces, both used by the Plantagenet kings, both visited by King John, the monarch forced to agree to Magna Carta. One is Ludgershall Castle, once home of William Marshal's father John, which became a royal hunting lodge. The other is Clarendon Palace, where John's father Henry II produced the "Constitutions of Clarendon", designed to reduce the power of the Church in England. This led to his great falling-out with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was later murdered.

The key is also on loan from Salisbury Museum, and comes from Old Sarum, where the original town and cathedral of Salisbury once stood. The spot was windy and lacking in fresh water and after various quarrels between the Sheriff and the Bishop, it was decided to build a new cathedral on low-lying ground some distance away. The new city sprung up around its cathedral and by 1322 there was little left of any of the buildings at Old Sarum.
The current cathedral is the nearest place where you can see a genuine example of a 1215 Magna Carta. We do, however, have a very good replica at Trowbridge Museum, as part of our Magna Carta Game of Barons exhibition.