Biddy at the museum

Did you know that 350 million years ago a forest covered the land from Oxfordshire to north of Newbury and coal is still buried beneath West Berkshire? Well, now you do. 

I rather missed the museum in Newbury while it was closed for revamping. It seemed a long time while those hoardings were up with all sorts of mysteries going on behind them. But it’s been worth the wait. The new West Berkshire Museum is educational, informative, interesting – and just BRILLIANT.

First up – it’s free!  This is a real slice of life in Newbury and West Berkshire through the ages, part of our heritage and something every local should be proud of. Situated in the old Cloth Hall and Corn Store, this is one of the prettiest buildings in the town. The revamp has made the insides fresh and contemporary, with wide, clear spaces, and a series of open-plan ‘rooms’ over two floors. 

I got a warm welcome when I arrived and a brief explanation of the route to take. There are children’s activity sheets in reception for them to do on the way round – great idea. In some of the different ‘rooms’ there are things to entertain youngsters too, such as great big jigsaws and dressing up clothes.

You’ll find a huge range of artefacts on display, and big, bright boards with info that makes for fascinating reading. The items are incredibly varied – I saw everything from a 20,000-year-old axe to a Per Una outfit from Marks & Spencer!  You can’t get much more diverse than that, can you?

Exhibits change often, so it is the sort of place you can go regularly and see something new (or should that be old?).  Some objects are local (such as First World War diary notes from Captain Comley Hawkes, whose father was master of the workhouse in Newbury) and others come from all over the world: when I went I saw Egyptian jars from the days when Cleopatra was queen and terracotta heads from Greece dating from 200BC. All were equally fascinating! 

Another idea that I thought was great was a variety of displays called Volunteer’s Choice, where the dedicated team of people who make the museum happen get to choose an item that goes on display and say why they selected it. On my visit someone had chosen a Sinclair ZX Spectrum from 1982 and another person had selected a peregrine falcon, shot in 1935 at Denford Park by Sir Harrison Hughes. 

Oh yes, and there is a cafe too – good place to start or end (or both!) when you visit. 

Biddy x