Uncovering the history of an ancient village
Eynsham Museum and Heritage Centre (EMHC) was established in 2021. Our aims are: to showcase some of the wonderful objects that bring to life Eynsham’s long and distinguished history; nurture pride in the community for its roots; and provide inspiration for future generations.
In March 2023, Eynsham Parish Council granted EMHC a lease on the Bartholomew Room in the Market Square. In autumn 2023, we held our first exhibition, Eynsham’s Lost Railway, which was so popular that it needed an extended run.
Our next exhibition, Rural Eynsham, ran from 13 July to 27 October 2024, and was very well-received by villagers and visitors to Eynsham alike. Alongside this, our popular photographic exhibition, Eynsham Past and Present, gave a fascinating glimpse into the changing face of the village.
We reopened both exhibitions on 5 April 2025, and they will run until the end of October 2025. Opening hours are weekends and bank holidays from 11am to 5pm.
In the meantime, we are working our way towards our permanent exhibition in the upstairs gallery. Along with our own collection of historical artefacts, we are hoping to borrow Eynsham-related objects from other museums and from the Museum Resources Centre in Standlake.
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News
May 2025
The museum is now open again and a regular flow of visitors are enjoying our Rural Eynsham exhibition and Eynsham Past and Present photographic display at weekends between 11am and 4pm.
The Cake and Book Sale on 26 April was a huge success, with cakes selling out in just a couple of hours, and around 200 people coming to choose their next read. We are delighted to have raised more than £800 for the museum from the event. Our warm thanks to everyone who supported us and, of course, to our volunteers, who we could not manage without.
Our next fundraising event is on Sunday 25 May from 4pm for a 4:30pm start. The Eynsham Poetry Group will be putting on a repeat performance of ‘Under Wytham Wood’, a play inspired by Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood. The event will be in St Leonard’s Church Hall. Tickets cost £5 and refreshments will be available for a small donation. You can buy tickets at the museum during visiting hours at the museum or from Evenlode DIY.
We are busy putting in bids for grants, and we are waiting for replies from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Doris Field Charitable Trust and the local Co-op (who have £200 to give to local good causes). We will also be bidding for a grant from the Pilgrim Trust. Eynsham Parish Council has given us £500 towards our plans for changing the lighting in the museum.
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** For previous news items, please go to the News archive. **
Object of the month
For more about Object of the Month, click on the next link (date heading).
- May 2025This decorated Anglo-Norman column was once part of Eynsham Abbey. It dates from the second half of the 12th century. Anglo-Norman architecture is a style of medieval… Read more: May 2025
