The Art of Pargeting

Pargeting (or sometimes it is spelt pargetting) is a decorative or waterproofing plastering applied to building walls. It is particularly common in Essex, as well as in Norfolk (where it is sometimes referred to as pinking) and Suffolk. ‘Parget’, is a Middle English term that is probably derived from the Old French word porgeter, to… Read More »

Object of the Month – September 2023

Image (above): Spiny Seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus    SAFWM : 1975.68 © September’s Object of the Month is a Spiny Seahorse found on the east coast of England at Skegness, Lincolnshire in 1904. The dried specimen was donated to the Museum by a resident of Saffron Walden. It is 12 cm long from head to tail. British… Read More »

Object of the Month – August 2023

In April, university students Eleanor, Elizabeth and Katie joined us to help inventory the ceramic and glassware store behind the scenes at the museum.  Eleanor is continuing with the project until September.                     They picked out their favourite items from the stores. This condiment stand and… Read More »

Object of the Month – July 2023

The Museum’s ‘Object of the Month’ provides an opportunity to explore interesting and unusual objects from our stores.  Forgeries in the Museum! by Joanne Pegrum, Museum Volunteer  On display in Saffron Walden Museum during July, possibly for the first time since the 19th century, are a group of six lead objects known as ‘Billys and Charleys’…. Read More »

Object of the Month – June 2023

This is the cast skin / exoskeleton (exuvia) of a dragonfly larva, found in Elsenham in August 2005. The shape of the eyes and the length (40mm) suggest it’s a hawker dragonfly, while the finder’s description of the adult dragonfly being green and yellow means it is probably a southern hawker, which are common in… Read More »

A Taste of History : Demonstration and Tasting of Salad through the Ages

Wednesday 12 July 6.30 – 8.30pm including Free Admission to the Museum from 1.30pm to view the Feeding the Family special exhibition Join cook and food historian Monica Askay to learn about salads of the past and their varied and surprising ingredients. A cookery demonstration with tastings, this will be an opportunity to see salads… Read More »

Victory in the Kitchen

This ‘Deliciously Entertaining’ book is the story of a woman who was not a royal, not rich, not famous; someone who simply worked hard and enjoyed her life. But while Georgina Landemare saw herself as ordinary, her accomplishments were anything but. Georgina started her career as a nursemaid and ended it cooking for one of… Read More »

Object of the Month – May 2023

Fossil Sponge from Radwinter Saffron Walden Museum offers a free identification service for objects from north-west Essex. People often find interesting stones in their garden or in fields. Many of these are flint nodules. Flint is a hard rock that comes from chalk, a soft white limestone that is 200 metres thick in north Essex… Read More »