News
January 2011
'Eat, drink & be merry'
Visitors to the Merchants House on 30th December 2010 enjoyed an exclusive trip back in time as Christmas was celebrate 'Tudor style' for the first time in over 400 years.
Thanks to a dedicated team of staff, volunteers and advisors, the house was adorned with Tudor evergreen boughs and garlands, tabily set out with the best family pewter and rooms illuminated by the gentle glow of candlelight.
Families and children were given food for thought as they discovered how they might have celebrated Christmas ina Tudor household. Later in the evening visitors were treated to a true taste of Tudor Christmas with Mynce Pies and Hypocras made using authentic recipes from the period.
One visitor said ' It was great to be given the chance to find out how people living in my home town would have celebrated the festive period 400 years ago. I can't believe I've never been here before'.
This event also marked the completion and installation of some of our newest furnishings including a trestle table, four benches and four 16th century style wooden chests, all of which have been custom made and handcrafted by skilled local craftsmen.
Keep checking the website for information about more events at the Merchants House in the New Year.
November 2010
Project launch brings back old memories
On 30th October we opened the doors of the Merchant’s House for one final time before we begin installing the new interpretation. For one day only we invited visitors to explore the house free of charge and to let us know what we could do to improve their visit.
For the team, this was an invaluable exercise as we were able to meet our visitors and share our enthusiasm for the project for the first time by showcasing our plans for the new interpretation.
A record 98 visitors took us up on our invitation and we were thrilled to find that 6 of these were former residents of the Merchant’s Row. Together they had a wealth of fascinating memories and have each kindly agreed to share their stories as part of our new Oral History Archive (available to the public from April 2011).
The project is beginning to gather momentum with objects for the character boxes arriving daily and the Oral History team poised and raring to go. Undoubtedly the most exciting development to date has been finding out, first hand, what it is like to live in such unique timber framed buildings, but we still have plenty to discover.
This project brings new and exciting challenges each day so please keep visiting our blog for regular updates from the team.
August 2010
Heritage Lottery Fund interprets life past and present at Countryside Museum
Thanks to an award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), The John Moore Countryside Museum can begin a new multi-media interpretation project. The project will explore the history of the unique row of seventeen Grade 1 listed, 15th century buildings which house the museum complex in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The award of £34,400, announced today, will mean that a much under-explored portion of the buildings’ history can be preserved for future generations.
The project, which starts in September this year, will include the creation of sound recordings featuring a range of people connected with the medieval row of shops and houses, including current residents, building experts, historical consultants and people connected with the original restoration. Visitors to the Merchant’s House, part of the John Moore Museum, will be able to hear ‘voices from the present’ via sophisticated audio guides.
The lives of residents in the Tudor period will also be brought to life with specially commissioned replica 16th century ‘character boxes’ and furniture, educational aids and living history sessions.
The project, led by a newly appointed Education Officer and Project Leader, will involve local residents in the Abbey Lawn Cottages, museum volunteers, local societies and schools.
Simon Lawton, curator at the John Moore Countryside Museum said, ’We have known for a long time that the Merchant’s House has the potential to be much more than a beautifully restored listed building. We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled us to capture the experience of living in the row both in Tudor times and, more importantly, today, leaving an important legacy for the next generation.’
Explaining the importance of the award HLF regional manager Nerys Watts said, ‘This fantastic project will really bring the Museum’s collections to life for everyone to explore. HLF is dedicated to supporting projects that open up our heritage for locals and visitors to learn about and enjoy. The new displays and research that this project will deliver will be a great addition to this beautiful building and its ongoing story.’