Aldbourne Heritage Centre facts for kids
The Aldbourne Heritage Centre is a cool local museum located in the village of Aldbourne in North-East Wiltshire, England. You can find it right next to The Crown Inn, in the heart of the village. It's a great place to discover the history of Aldbourne!
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Discovering Aldbourne's Past
The Heritage Centre first opened its doors in August 2014. It's filled with interesting objects and displays that show you what life was like in Aldbourne, from ancient times all the way up to today. A group called the Aldbourne Community Heritage Group (ACHG) runs the museum. They also put on talks and events about local history, which are fun ways to learn even more.
Working with Other Museums
The Aldbourne Heritage Centre works with other museums and galleries in the South West of England. In 2015, it teamed up with the Wiltshire Museum for a special project called "Wiltshire's Story in 100 Objects." This was a traveling exhibition that showed off 100 important items from the county's history. The Aldbourne Heritage Centre contributed an 18th-century bell, known as a crotal bell, which was made right there in Aldbourne!
What You Can See
The museum often changes its displays, so there's always something new to see! Here are some of the cool things you might learn about:
Ancient Discoveries
- The Aldbourne Cup: This is a beautifully decorated cup from the early Bronze Age. It was found in an ancient burial mound nearby. You can see replicas of it at the centre, showing how it looks now and how it might have looked when it was new. The original cup is actually at the British Museum!
- Prehistoric Tools: Look out for ancient flint tools that were used by people long, long ago. These were also found in local Bronze Age burial mounds.
Village Life and Legends
- The Village Pond: Learn about the geology that created the village pond and the funny legend of the dabchick bird, which is important to Aldbourne's story.
- Old Court Cases: Discover stories about arguments between local people and the King or Queen back in the 1500s and 1600s!
- Life in the 1800s: Find out about the people who lived in Aldbourne when big changes were happening with land ownership in the early 19th century.
Local Industries and Events
- Old Jobs: See how local industries like making fustian cloth and chairs developed over time.
- Bell Making: Aldbourne was famous for making bells! There was a very important bell founding industry here from the 1600s to the 1800s. You can see different kinds of bells made by local families.
- Village Fires: Learn about the history of fires in the village, from the 1700s to today, and how people dealt with them.
- Fireman's Helmet: There's even a 19th-century fireman’s helmet on display!
- Old Farm Tools: Check out hand tools that farmers used in Victorian times and even earlier.
Aldbourne in Wartime
- World War II Heroes: Discover the story of Easy Company from the US Army 101st Airborne Division. These soldiers stayed in Aldbourne before D-Day in World War II. Their story became famous in the book and TV series Band of Brothers.
- Other Military Units: Learn about other military groups that were in the village during both World Wars.
- Wartime Items: See items related to the American soldiers who lived in the village during the war.
Photographs and Documents
- Thousands of Photos: The centre has thousands of photographs showing what life was like in Aldbourne from the mid-Victorian period (around the 1850s) right up to the present day.
- Old Documents: You can also see copies of old documents from the Middle Ages and Tudor times. These show how the local lords managed the village and the decisions made in their courts.
When to Visit
The Aldbourne Heritage Centre is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays throughout the summer. If you want to visit at other times, you can arrange an appointment.
See also
