As cold weather turns our thoughts to arranging holidays in warmer places January’s ‘Object of the Month’ features a Nautilus shell from oceans on the other side of the world. It has been chosen by Sarah Kenyon, one of the Natural Sciences Officers, at Saffron Walden Museum. Nautilus This is the shell of a Chambered… Read More »
Find out when you can pop in for a visit around the Museum with your friends and family over the festive period
Grateful thanks on International Volunteer Day Today, 5 December, is International Volunteer Day. We want to take this opportunity to thank you, our volunteers, for your continued dedication and commitment to Saffron Walden Museum, without which we could not operate. We now have over 65 volunteers, who give thousands of hours of their time, in… Read More »
December’s Object of the Month has been selected by Jenny Oxley, Collections Officer (Human History). This Christmas themed room setting and assortment of doll’s house furniture came to the Museum in 1994 as a bequest from the Watt estate. It was originally intended to recreate one of the rooms in the original owner’s home, Watt’s… Read More »
The Puzzles of the Pendant November’s Object of the Month is a very special piece of medieval jewellery: a gold reliquary pendant in the form of a cross. It was found by a metal detectorist in Farnham parish, Uttlesford district and reported under the Treasure Act 1996. Saffron Walden Museum Society Ltd was able to… Read More »
Here’s a few historic local ghost sightings….as Halloween is upon us…. Do you have any local ghost stories you would like to share with us? Cromwellian soldiers have been reported to stalk both the Cross Keys Hotel and the Old Sun Inn, moving furniture and banging on the walls. The spooky cellar at The… Read More »
This case is arranged to show which butterflies live in the Saffron Walden area today (left), and which are extinct (right). These butterflies died off mainly because of changing land use in the 19th & 20th centuries. Butterflies such as the Adonis blue (1) and chalk-hill blue (2) prefer large areas of chalk wildflower meadow,… Read More »
September’s Object of the Month is a wax model of Pestle Puffball fungus, Handkea excipuliformis, found growing under Scots pine trees on a road to Newport, Essex by George Maynard between 1880 and 1904. Pestle Puffball Fungus This common fungus can be seen from August to November. It grows in woods, grassland, heaths and on… Read More »
Thanks to the magnificent generosity of local people and grants from three national organisations, Saffron Walden Museum Society Ltd (charity 1123209) achieved its target of £10,880 and has been able to purchase these four historic objects below for the collections. They will be on display from Saturday 24 August when there will be short curator’s… Read More »
Please note the Museum will be open as usual on Sunday 25th August, 2-5pm Church Street will be closed but Museum Street will be open and 2-way for vehicles needing access. For more information on road closures and the race route please go to: https://www.monumentcycling.com/saffron-walden-grand-prix