Welcome to MyThornbury's local history section. There's plenty to explore:
Thornbury & District Museum
The museum was started in 1986 to house a collection of artefacts bequeathed to The Thornbury Society, and rapidly expanded. It is an independent museum and financed by grants and donations.
Come and visit our exhibition rooms, chat to our volunteers, visit our shop, enjoy your local museum. Click here to visit the Museum's website.
Thornbury Local History and Archaeology Society
Thornbury's local history society meets monthly - details on the right, and have produced a series of articles based on these talks. Visit the Society's page for more information and to read the articles (articles are also listed below).
Local history groups
Lots of local history groups, covering a variety of subject areas.
Resources
Our local history resources page has links to many useful websites.
Local history books
Old maps
Explore MyThornbury's collection of old maps of Thornbury and the surrounding area. Includes a map browser that lets you switch between different age maps.
Old photos
We've teamed up with Francis Frith to offer reprints of old Thornbury and district photos.
We'd also like to recommend the fascinating Images of Thornbury site, with its large collection of old photos and now-and-then comparisons.
Gloucestershire ballads (Mar 2009)
Farm buildings (Feb 2009)
Bristol Castle (Jan 2009)
Walls & boundaries (Dec 2008)
Dark Satanic Mills (Nov 2008)
Clarkson and the Slave Trade (Oct 2008)
What to wear at work (Sep 2008)
Thornbury Pubs (Mar 2008)
Rethinking Militancy (Feb 2008)
Down the Garden Path (Jan 2008)
The Slave Trade (Dec 2007)
Crinoline and Corsets (Nov 2007)
Love Thy Neighbour (Oct 2007)
Digging up the Glass Works (Mar 2007)
Death and disease on the SS Great Britain (Jan 2007)
How the forest was won (Oct 2006)
Clifton Rocks Railway
Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
In sickness and in health
Mr Lister - a gentleman employer
More
Tours of the house and grounds are conducted by professional guides from 16 June to 23 August 2009, excluding Mondays and special events. There are a number of special events throughout the opening season; please check the Acton Court website for details.
Latteridge Road, Iron Acton BS37 9TL
Tel: 01454 228224
Email:
This site has an excellent database of monumental inscriptions from Thornbury Cemetery and St Mary's Church, complete with photographs, and has recently added the monumental inscriptions from the United Reformed Church as well as details of births, marriages and burials from the URC registers up to about 1900.
There's a searchable database of Thornbury Trade directories, with 24 directories included, covering the period 1790 to 1939. There are also various Voter Lists, Coroners Lists, Street Directories and a gallery of old Thornbury adverts from local businesses.
There are in-depth histories of the houses in many of the older streets of Thornbury and of the families who lived in them with an extensive collection of photographs.
14 May–4 July, Yate and District Heritage Centre, Church Road, Yate, BS37 5BG
2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the closure of the pit at Frog Lane, and the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group, Yate & District Heritage Centre and local community and heritage groups are joining forces for "Frog Lane 1949-2009" to mark the closure of Frog Lane Colliery, the last major coal mining concern in the Yate/Coalpit Heath area.
Frog Lane 1949-2009 will be a major event in 2009 consisting of a book, key exhibition, CD and numerous mining events and activities.
The exhibition is free to the public.
www.myyate.co.uk/yate/history/yat...
Email:
9.45 prompt for 10am start from Lych Gate, St Saviours Church
Walk will take about 3 hours covering over 5 miles, including stiles and rough ground. Please wear stout shoes. Parking at St Saviour's, Beesmore Road
For more information, please click below.
www.sgmrg.co.uk/events
10am–4pm, Acton Court, tickets £12 (£5 concessions)
The site will be open for artists of all abilities to come and paint at Acton Court. Resident artist, Lisa Kopper, will be available to give assistance if required.
PLEASE NOTE: bring your own materials, any media except oil paints.
Light refreshments included; bring your own lunch.
www.actoncourt.com
3pm, Acton Court, tickets £12 (£10 concessions)
A talk by World-renowned environmentalist, Satish Kumar, visits Acton Court with a talk for our times. Satish is well known as an author and broadcaster; he is the editor of Resurgence magazine and recently presented the highly acclaimed BBC Natural World programme about Dartmoor.
Satish brings eastern philosophy into a western context with seamless elegance. Satish Kumar will be available to sign copies of his books, which will be for sale on the day.
Acton Court will donate all profits from this event to the Hawk and Owl Trust.
www.actoncourt.com
9am - midday
Outing 2 Corsham Stone Mine. Max 10 people. NB Lots of steps to climb.
Events are FREE to members of SGMRG and £2 to non-members - except (for both members and non-members) where admission charges or travel costs apply. For more information, please click below.
www.sgmrg.co.uk/events
1pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
View the vessels abandoned along the Severn between Purton and Sharpness between 1909 and 1963.
For more information, email Paul Barnett below:
Email:
Evening work - Serridge
For more information, please click below.
www.sgmrg.co.uk
Site open 10.30am-4.30pm, 1 hour break 1–2pm, Acton Court, tickets: £6 (£4 concessions, £16 family ticket 2 adults + 3 children). Purchase tickets in advance or at the door.
In the 500th anniversary year of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne, Hungerford Household brings living history to Acton Court as members of the household, from servants to gentry, prepare for the King’s visit.
Costumed re-enactors demonstrate their skills as they go about the business of preparing food, crafts and entertainments making ready for the arrival of the court. Visitors will have the opportunity to talk with the characters and participate in a variety of activities. Hungerford Household is a re-enactment group with over fifteen years experience of bringing the Tudor period to life at historic houses and museums throughout the UK. Acton Court provides a perfect setting for this exciting event. An entertainment for all the family.
www.actoncourt.com
10am-3pm
For more information, please click below.
www.sgmrg.co.uk/events
2–3.30pm and 4-5.30pm, Acton Court, tickets: £8 (£6 concessions) (suitable for children aged 7 years and upwards)
How do you see Henry VIII? Bloated despot? Incorrigible womaniser? Founder of the Church of England? Composer of Greensleeves? Fashion icon of the 16th century? Take a look at Great Harry through the eyes of two of his employees: Jane the Fool, who served Henry’s wives and daughter as an entertainer, and Elynor Manners, Countess of Rutland, who was a lady-in-waiting to three of Henry’s queens.
Lucy Capito and Caroline Johnson, costumed as these two royal servants, build a picture of the king as they dress him from lawn shirt to ostrich-plumed hat, and offer different contemporary views of Henry as a vibrant personality and a royal master.
www.actoncourt.com
Friday 14 August, Sunday 16 August and Tuesday 18 August, 8pm, Acton Court, tickets: £9 (£7 concessions)
The wife of Sir Nicholas Poyntz invites you to visit her home and share memories of her family and the people they knew through the momentous reigns of four Tudor monarchs, from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I.
This theatrical tour offers a rare opportunity to experience Acton Court by night. Light refreshments are included. Lady Joan Poyntz – Brenda Page.
www.actoncourt.com
Outdoor Talk and Walk 3 – Heritage Trail Launch
For more information, please click below.
www.sgmrg.co.uk/events
