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.

Curators do rather more than dust the cases in their museums...

The Museum's new Magna Carta- Game of Barons exhibition is a case in point. The earliest stages of planning began in August last year, and the completion of the first phase of the exhibition was only just completed in time for the opening. And what an opening it was! A medieval feast,

 a visit from Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant for Wiltshire, Mrs Sarah Troughton, to open the display,

the Mayor of Trowbridge, Councillor Glyn Bridges, looking very pretty in his robes,

but up against stiff competition from the Assistant Curator in her flowing golden gown (which threatened to trip quite a lot of people),

and a completely unexpected King Richard the Lionheart, just back from having a lovely time on Crusade.

Can you not see the resemblance between him and the Lego version of his brother John in the Lego Runnymede and Castle?

There is much more to add to this splendid exhibition, so why not follow our blog to make sure you don't miss out!