Chiseldon Local History Group was formed in the 1980s after a Landscape History Course which was run by the WEA in Chiseldon. Our group enjoyed the course so much we took the tutor’s suggestion and formed a local history group.

 

Our aim is to research and record the history of the parish and to share what we find. As well as the group learning a lot about our parish history, they also built up a considerable archive of photographs, documents and artefacts which needed somewhere to be displayed. The group rented one of the redundant chapels in the Butts Road Cemetery from Chiseldon Parish Council (who are very supportive) and after a lot of hard work, Chiseldon Museum opened in August 2004.

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Since the formation of the group, several books have been written by committee members, and the group has installed two interpretation boards in Chiseldon, one at Stroud's Hill and one outside Holy Cross Church in Church Street.

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The group holds monthly meetings in Holy Cross Church Hall, which are free to members, but visitors can attend for a small fee, at which there are speakers on a wide range of subjects. We also have a lot of fun!

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Between April and September each year, our members volunteer to be on duty at the museum as stewards on a Saturday afternoon from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

 

When the museum is closed over the winter period, work starts on new displays. Some of the exhibits are permanent, such as the timeline and the Iron Age Cauldron replica, but there is always something new to make it worth visiting the museum every year.