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 ran until the end of August 2025.
At the end of September 2025, we opened our permanent exhibition in the upstairs gallery, Eynsham from Prehistory to the 20th Century. This runs alongside our permanent photographic exhibition, Eynsham Past and Present, in the downstairs gallery. Read more about our current and past exhibitions here.
The museum’s opening hours are weekends and bank holidays from 11am to 4pm. Entry is free; donations are very welcome.
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News
August 2026
The final cabinet for the permanent exhibition in the upstairs gallery has now been installed. It is being used to display decorated floor tiles from Eynsham Abbey. Below the cabinet, large drawers are now home to documents that have been in storage. These include: 16th- to 18th-century Eynsham Wills and Inventories with transcriptions; a copy of St Leonard’s Parish Registers of Births, Marriages and Burials; the 10-yearly Census returns for Eynsham from 1841 to 1901; and maps of Eynsham from the 16th century to the present day. Our hope is that this will ultimately enable greater access to these resources for those investigating local history
As ever, we are hugely grateful for the donations we receive of objects of interest for the museum. Research is ongoing into some of the recently donated artefacts. For example, building specifications from the 1860s for the construction of Eynsham’s Primitive Methodist Chapel have enabled us to visualise what this lost building would have looked like (see below).
We have a number events already lined up for when this long, hot summer comes to an end. The Hill End Outdoor Education Centre is planning an exhibition for the museum in October. In the same month, eight groups of children from Eynsham Primary School will visit the museum. And, in November, we will be giving a talk on the museum’s recent acquisitions to the Monday Club.
Visitors to the museum this year have included people from many parts of the UK, but also from further afield: the USA, Australia, Sri Lanka, Mexico, New Zealand, Denmark and Hong Kong! There have also been some long-term Eynsham residents who have been pleasantly surprised by their first visit! All feedback in the Comments book have been very complimentary, with one describing us as ‘a little gem’.
As always, we would very much like to bring more people in to our team of volunteer stewards to supervise the exhibits. If you are over 18 and can spare a couple of hours occasionally at weekends, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Steve Parrinder on info@eynshammuseum.org.uk.
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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).
- August 2026This a hand-coloured copperplate engraving, made by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck in 1729, depicts the ruins of the interior of Eynsham Abbey as they stood at the… Read more: August 2026
