Horrible Histories, the Magna Carta song

If you haven't seen it yet, you MUST pop over to YouTube to see this delightful Horrible Histories take on Magna Carta and its importance through history.

Lego King John, on display as part of Trowbridge Museum's Magna Carta-Game of Barons exhibition

Magna Carta song

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.

Cooking up a Medieval Magna Carta Treat- for the radio?

On May 28th, BBC Wiltshire Radio came to the Assistant Curator's home to record the cooking of a medieval feast.

Katherine made sure to choose recipes that reflected the different classes of society, and also ones which made bubbling, grinding and grating noises. Well, it was for radio.

Tart in Ember day, gingerbread, sugared rose petals and other medieval delights

Museum Manager Hannah Lyddy produced gingerbread (made without baking and including a fair dash of white pepper), frumenty (using cracked wheat) and hypocras or spiced wine, given a bit of heat by the rare spice galangal.
Katherine produced a type of flan that would have been acceptable on a fast day, a green omelette and a seriously rich liver pate called "garbage". Rose petals were prepared for preserving by dusting them with egg white and pounded sugar, a very expensive item in the Middle Ages, at the time of Magna Carta.
Everything was declared very tasty by Marie from BBC Wiltshire.

The proud cooks and their interviewer Marie

The interview will be broadcast during the main week of Magna Carta celebrations, focused around June 15th 2015.

The Barons' occupation of London- a turning point

On May 12th a delegation of Trowbridge dignitaries were invited by London's Lord Mayor to the Mansion House to commemorate a significant event which ultimately brought about the creation of Magna Carta. In 1215, the barons who had risen up in rebellion against King John's rapacious and unjust behaviour took over London. A king could not rule without control of the most important city in the country and John was eventually forced to sue for peace. Magna Carta was essentially a peace treaty, sealed less than a month after the taking of London.

Representatives from Trowbridge at the Mansion House, London, flying the arms of Magna Carta baron Henry de Bohun

Win a book as part of Trowbridge Museum's Magna Carta events!

Win a signed copy of one of Elizabeth Chadwick's novels set in the medieval period! Just visit our FREE! Magna Carta- Game of Barons exhibition and fill out our questionnaire in order to be entered into the prize draw.
Children can enter too, and will win a mystery book! Just make sure you put your contact details on your sheet and hand it in at the Museum Shop.

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!