What’s on
Events coming up:
Wednesday 1 April
7.30pm-8.30pm
Location: Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre
We chat to bestselling author Amy Jeffs as she takes us on a journey encompassing the mythology of Britain (including tales of Stonehenge and Bath), early modern folk ballads with their themes of witchcraft and the fey, and a smattering of medieval saints’ legends! How do stories, saints and songs provide a window into the past?
Tickets £10
Email archives@wiltshire.gov.uk to book
The Corsham Bookshop will be joining us to sell copies of Amy’s books and there will be the chance to get them signed after the event!
First Saturday of the month
11am-12pm
Location: Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre
Do you like crafts and getting creative? Are you interested in history? If yes, then these are the sessions for you!
This is an opportunity for you to explore some of the amazing documents in the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre’s archive collections in a friendly and informal setting. Embrace the opportunity to handle original documents which reveal the creative side of archives through the stories of people, places or events.
Please email archives@wiltshire.gov.uk to book your place (15 spaces available).
2026 programme:
January – No Session
7th February – Daily life in the late 18th and early 19th century Wiltshire villages
7th March – Recipes from the Archives
28th March – Wiltshire Lace
25th April – Quilting and Patchwork in Wiltshire
6th June – Wiltshire Bread and Beer
4th July – Wiltshire Glove Making
1st August – Wiltshire Basket Weavers/Makers
5th September – Wiltshire Folklore
3rd October – Lacock Dyes/Dyers of Wiltshire
7th November – Historical Marginalia
5th December – Christmas in Wiltshire
Please note that sessions are subject to change, however participants will have ample warning should this be the case.
First and third Wednesday of the month
2-3.30pm
Location: Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre
Do you love reading and history?
Then the Memory Box Reading group might just suit you down to the ground!
In-person sessions run on the first and third Wednesday of every month, 2-3.30pm. Entry is free, and we have a free car park right outside the building; we are also situated close to the railway station. If you are unable to join us in person, there is also the option of joining online via Teams, please enquire for further details.
The Memory Box sessions are a unique opportunity for anyone who is at a loose end to come along and listen to book extracts from our Local Studies Library on a wide range of topics, take a look at a range of documents from our Archive collection and photographs from our Local Studies Collection, not to mention tea/coffee, biscuits and chatting as we go!
Find out more: Memory Box Reading Group – Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
First Monday of the month
7pm-8pm
Location: Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre
We need your help to uncover the stories that matter.
Here at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre our mission is to collect, preserve, promote and value the culture and heritage of the county.
We want to ensure that every voice is represented within our collections. In this way we can share what is it like to live and work in Wiltshire with those who come after us. We want to make our collections more inclusive, for and about every community, and in particular communities which have been under-represented or marginalised throughout history.
To do this, we need your help. If you have lived experience in this area, we would like to invite you to become a valued member of our Wiltshire Inclusion Panel.
Find out more here: The Wiltshire Inclusion Panel – Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre Contact: julie.davis@wiltshire.gov.uk
First and third Wednesday of the month
45 minute slot
Location: Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre
In partnership with the Wiltshire Family History Society, the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre will have a family history expert on hand to answer all your tricky genealogy questions. In-person sessions normally run on the first and third Wednesday of every month at the History Centre. 45-minute appointments can now be booked for the following dates:
- 21st Jan; 4th Feb; 18th Feb; 4th Mar; 18th Mar; 1st Apr; 15th Apr; 6th May; 20th May; 3rd Jun; 17th Jun; 1st Jul; 15th Jul; 5th Aug; 19th Aug; 2nd Sept; 16th Sept; 7th Oct; 21st Oct; 4th Nov; 18th Nov.
To book an appointment, please email us at archives@wiltshire.gov.uk or telephone on 01249 705500
Various
Location: Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
Conservation and Museums Advisory Service presents a series of 1-day workshops focusing on practical, cost-effective and sustainable methods for looking after your collections in storage and on display. The workshops will take place at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, with all materials included in the cost.
See what sessions are open for enrolment
Contact us
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
Cocklebury Road
Chippenham
SN15 3QN
E: heritageadmin@wiltshire.gov.uk
T: 01249 705500
