Magna Carta Festival Archery day at Trowbridge Museum

On June 6th 10.30-1.00 and 2.00-3.30, Richard and Philip Head, Master Bowyers (and Fletchers) will be demonstrating at Trowbridge Museum. A bowyer makes bows and a fletcher, arrows. These ancient skills have been resurrected to make weapons for use in films, TV, museums, live action role-play (LARP) and re-enactment as well as archery competitions and sporting events.

Richard Head in his workshop, holding a strung longbow he has crafted

Philip Head, receiving his silver award. He will be at Trowbridge Museum on June 6th as part of our Magna Carta festival

Richard Head in Tudor costume pulling one of his longbows

To find out more about the craft of making longbows and arrows, or to view the online shop, visit http://www.english-longbow.co.uk.

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!

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!