What's On?
Transport through the Ages
The earliest transport memorabilia in the Museum is a set of Roman horseshoes. Horses then were used for moving soldiers, the well to do inhabitants and for trade - the Salt Way passes close to Winchcombe.
It was not until the eighteenth century that horse drawn transport came into its own with the advent of Turnpike roads - look for the Turnpike Notice Board giving details of charges.
Coach services sprang up providing regular services to Evesham and Cheltenham. Railways came late to Winchcombe (1905), but there were a number of earlier proposals that failed to materialise - there is a booklet that tells you what could have been!
We have a small number of limited edition model railway wagons that are associated with local industries.
The Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway is now part of the leisure sector and within the area there were a number of others.
There were motor trials, car rallies as well as the famous Prescott Hill Climb.
A number of bus services have served Winchcombe, from Stewart's Horse Bus through Gillett's, Castleways and now Marchant's.
Winchcombe Pottery
The Museum is also featuring a display of a variety of pots made at the Winchcombe Pottery. On display is one large multi-purpose bowl made in the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, when the pottery was owned by the Beckett family and called Greet Potteries.
There is a folder of relevant magazine articles, newspaper cuttings and photographs if you would like to research the Pottery and its potters in more depth.
Come and admire the craftsmanship of one of our most successful local industries.
www.winchcombepottery.co.uk
Winchcombe Schools
Over the centuries there have been numerous schools in the town.
The earliest dates from 1521 which was founded at the Abbey, which became the King's School and later moved to Jacobean House.
Chandos Grammar School started in Chandos Street and later merged with the King's School.
Now we have the Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School and Winchcombe School that caters for secondary education.
The Museum has numerous scrap books showing events and notable occasions at the primary school where local residents may well recognise themselves when they were much younger.
