May Bank Holiday opening

On both the Bank Holiday Mondays in May, we will be open from 12 noon until 4pm.

Easter opening

We will be open throughout Easter! Good Friday - noon - 4pm Saturday - 10am - 5pm Family activities from 11am Easter Sunday - noon - 4pm Easter Monday - noon - 4pm Easter Saturday Family Activities Weapons and Warfare - a family fun day with Saxon and Bronze Age activities, linked to World Heritage Day. • Meet a Saxon Warrior • Paint a Saxon Shield • Decorate Bronze Age daggers • Try costumes, handle artefacts and hear prehistoric stories in the galleries

Oexmann Art Award competition results announced!

On Saturday, we announced the results of the Oexmann Art Award. Details of the exhibition and the full results are now on our website. The exhibition is now open until 18 Janaury.

First Autumn lecture: The Changing World of Fifteenth-Century Wiltshire

Dr John Hare will be giving the first of our Autumn lectures. Find out more and book online here

Saturday 14th - Medieval Medicine

A YOUNG WANHS session, 10.15am to 12.15pm Find out about illnesses and medieval cures through role play, create potions and your own ‘ tussy mussy’ to protect yourself from medieval illness! Young WANHS is a Saturday morning club for 7 to 14 year olds interested in archaeology and history. Held on the second Saturday of the month from 10.15am to 12.15pm, pre-booking is essential. If you would like more information about the club or activities, please contact the Education Officer. Booking - Essential: * Contact the Learning & Outreach Officer on 01380 727369 * Send her an e-mail - education@wiltshireheritage.org.uk. Cost: £4 per child, per session

Opens Sunday 8th until 5 October

Devizes Camera Club - Members' Biennial Print Exhibition at Wiltshire Museum. Open Monday 9 September to 5 October - Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 4pm. FREE ENTRY.

It's not too late to book - Evening Lecture Course: An introduction to Archaeology - starts Wednesday 11th.

An Introduction to Archaeology - aims, techniques and methods, starts 6:30 pm, Wednesday, 11 September, 2013 Missing Time Team? Want to find out more about the techniques involved in archaeological excavation? Then this may be the course for you. Over seven weeks and with two field trips you will explore subjects such as aerial photography, geophysics and much more. A course aimed at those who have little prior knowledge of the processes involved in archaeological investigation. Each week a specific aspect of the process will be explored – aerial photography, geophysics, pottery identification – and the ever familiar excavation all have a place in the process of archaeology. This course will help you understand the large array of technical and traditional methods available to the modern archaeologist. The course comprises 7 x 2 hour sessions and 2 x 3 hour field trips to local sites. All you need is an enthusiasm for the subject. Bob Clarke has lectured on the subject of archaeological techniques for over a decade, specialising in bringing the discipline to adults who have an interest in the subject but little experience. He has authored a wide range of archaeological and historical books including 'Prehistoric Wiltshire: an illustrated Guide' and 'Four Minute Warning: Britain's Cold War'. He has been involved in a number of major discoveries including the Boscombe Bowman and has just returned to Boscombe Down to continue the conservation effort on the site. Dates: Wednesday Evenings, 6.30pm to 8.30pm 11 September, 18 September, 25 September, 2 October, 9 October, 16 October, 23 October Saturday Field Trips - 28 September (Avebury region) 19 October (to Savernake) Booking: Essential. To contact us, either: * Tel: 01380 727369 (office hours Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm) * Send an e-mail to wanhs@wiltshireheritage.org.uk, or * Book on-line by using the 'Add to Cart' below – includes a booking fee. Please note, payment is required with booking. We reserve the right to automatically cancel bookings 7 days before the lecture if payment has not been received. Our Lecture Hall is accessible via a lift if required, has a hearing loop and air conditioning. Cost: £70 (£50 WANHS members)

Bank Holiday Film Show

Memories of Devizes past is the theme of two films to be shown by the Devizes and District Cine and Video Club on Monday 26 August at the Museum. Mayoralty is a film from 1972 showing the last Mayor of the Borough of Devizes and can you spot a relative in the Devizes Carnival 1968? Films will be shown throughout the day, entry is free (donations welcome) and advance booking is not necessary. The Museum will be open 10am to 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

Library closures - please check before making a journey

For the next few weeks, we may not be able to open the Library and Archive on Tuesdays and Thursdays, due to ill-health. Please contact us before you make a special visit to use the Library and Archive, to make sure that we are able to be open. Our apologies, but please remember that you can search our online database to help you in your research before you make your visit.

Evening Visit to Stonehenge

Friday 30 August, 7.30pm. An evening walk among the stones at Stonehenge, led by David Dawson. This is an opportunity to inspect and photograph (for non-commercial purposes only) the stones closely, see the inscriptions and wander at will inside the circle. £22 (£20 WANHS members) and discounts for English Heritage and National Trust members. More details and to book on-line visit our website - www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk

Would you like to join us? New volunteer positions.

We are preparing for the opening of our exciting new galleries in October! We are looking for volunteers to join us in three interesting roles. For each of these roles you can download a job description and an application form.

The three roles are:-

• reception volunteer
• gallery guide
• storyteller

If you are interested, then please complete and return our simple application form, and then we will arrange to meet you so that you can find our more about the role

Walking Wiltshire's White Horses - join us for the August walks

Join artists Ali Pretty and Richard White on the 100 mile walk around Wiltshire's White Horses. Stunning scenery, archaeology and history, walking and talking, contemplation and celebration, sound art and digital photography.

You can join us for the whole 100 miles, or for a day or half a day.

Day 1 – Thursday 22 August Westbury to Devizes via Poultshot; 16.5 miles Start: Bratton Camp 9am Finish: Canal Wharf Devizes, The Lamb To register and for more information- follow this link  

Day 2 – Friday 23 August Devizes to Broad Hinton; 24.5 miles Start: Devizes Wharf 9am Finish: Broad Hinton , The Crown To register and for more information - follow this link  

Day 3 – Saturday 24 August Broad Hinton  to Marlborough; 20 miles Start: Broad Hinton, The Crown 10 am Finish: Marlborough Market Place To register and for more information - follow this link

Day 4 – Sunday 25 August Marlborough to Pewsey; 19 miles Start: Marlborough Market Place – outside Library Finish: Bouverie Hall car park To register and for more information - follow this link  

Day 5 – Monday 26 August Pewsey to Devizes; 22.5 miles Start: Pewsey, Bouverie Hall car park 8.30 Finish: Devizes Market Place To register and for more information - follow this link

Eight days, 100 miles, 5,000 years
If you would like to join us for the whole 5 days, you can find more information and register by following this link.

Oexmann Art Award Compeition details now available!

We are proud to announce the thirteenth biennial Oexmann Art Award Competition.

Created to commemorate the late Theophilia Joan Oexmann, the competition is open to entrants born or living in Wiltshire and aims to encourage and promote artists from the county.

Download the entry details here.

New exhibition - North Wessex Downs Icons

On display for the first time are 12 original works by artist Anna Dillon.  She has been commissioned to create 12 Icons to represent the North Wessex Downs Area of Natural Beauty. Find out more from this link.

Ali Pretty - Meet the Artist. Tues 9 July at 7.30

As part of the Walking Wiltshire’s White Horses project this summer, Ali Pretty will be giving a talk on her amazing use of large-scale silks made for carnivals and outdoor festivals all over the world, in a special presentation of her work on Tuesday 9th July, 7.30pm at Wiltshire Museum

To find out more - go to http://www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk/events/index.php?Action=2&thID=860&prev=1

Free White Horse Walks this weekend - Cherhill, Broad Town and Hackpen

Join artists Ali Pretty and Richard White on a free walk this weekend

• 22 June: 12-3pm Cherhill – meet at Smallgrain picnic site, near North Wilts Golf Club 11.45am. Book your free place here
• 23 June: 10-1pm Broad Town – meet at the Crown, Broad Hinton 9.45am. Book your free place here 
• 23 June: 2-5pm Hackpen – meet at Barbury Castle Car Park 1.45pm. Book your free place here

Find out more about the creative walks at http://www.creativewiltshire.co.uk/creative-walks-to-wiltshires-white-horses.html 

Free White Horse Walks this weekend - Westbury and Devizes

This weekend sees the first of the free walks to the Westbury and Devizes White Horses. Join artists Ali Pretty and Richard White on these 3 hour circular walk.

Ali and Richard invite everyone who is taking part in the creative walks to share thoughts and experiences, sounds and images. On these walks and after we hope you will enjoy a form of creative sharing using the latest and most ancient technologies.

• If you have a smart phone/device, a camera or an audio recorder please bring them along.
• If you play an easy-to-carry musical instrument, please bring it and play!
• If you use a note book or sketch pad please bring that too!
• A limited number of digital cameras and iPads will be available to loan, please book in advance.

To find out more about the way Richard will be using technology - follow this link to http://www.creativewiltshire.co.uk/creative-walks-begin.html.

When and Where

• 15 June: 12-3pm Westbury – meet at Bratton Down Car Park. 11.45. Book your free place here
• 16 June: 12-3pm Devizes – meet at Wiltshire Museum 12pm. Book your free place here

Vacancy - Administration Assistant for the Oexmann Art Competition

The Museum will be running the Oexmann Art Competition later this this year, and we are looking for someone to help us to organise it! The post is for about 35 days of work in the period leading up to the award ceremony in October.. Interested? Follow the links to the job description and application form. Closing date - Friday 21 June.

New exhibition! Spendour of Stonehenge

An exhibition of pictures from the Museum's art collection. The Museum has an extensive collection of paintings, drawings, engravings, prints and photographs of Stonehenge, dating from the 18th century to the present day. Artists represented in the collection include Frederick Nash, A V Copley Fielding, George Richmond, James Bridges and Henry Moore. Find out more here.

Half-Term Holiday Activities - book now!

Stonehenge Art and Springtime and Wildlife Crafts are the themes for the holiday activities during the May half-term. Wednesday 29 May - Stonehenge Art. Come along and build your own mini-henge, painting, colouring and much more. Thursday 30 May - Springtime and Wildlife Crafts. Make a wildlife inspired mobile, leaf rubbings, paper flowers plus other activities. Two sessions per day: Under 8s - 11am to 12.30pm Over 8s - 1.30pm to 3pm. Please note - under 8s must be accompanied by an adult and pre-booking is essential as places are limited. £4 per child. Book now - send an email to education@wiltshireheritage.org.uk.