Wallingford Museum News

The museum offers three intriguing and different exhibitions this year, something for all of the family.

‘Through Wallingford’s Workhouse Door

Explore, Experience, Endure’

This exhibition offers families, especially for those children learning about the Victorians, to discover Wallingford history on their door step!

Visitors are invited to cross the threshold of the Workhouse and discover what life was really like for the men, women, and children who passed through its doors — not by choice, but through necessity.

The family activity pack provides your family with some options for exploring the exhibition, try knocking on the workhouse door, you may be surprised! Try playing the workhouse game to discover the characters who once lived in the workhouse, test out the feely-boxes and other activities, all these give an interactive experience to this year’s exhibition.

 'Agatha Christie's Wallingford'

In the 50th anniversary year of Agatha Christie’s death this additional new exhibition focuses on the many events, developments and gradual changes in Wallingford in the 1950s, 60s and 1970s. It was a time when Agatha much enjoyed her self-proclaimed favourite role as ‘Mrs Mallowan, Housewife’, spending ever increasing time working alongside Max at Winterbrook House and using the facilities of the town where they lived.

‘Digging for Wallingford’

This is a new small exhibition upstairs, (to the left off the shop), mounted by the TWHAS Archaeology group. It showcases some of the archaeology that TWHAS has been involved in within and around Wallingford. Wall displays summarise work we undertook on the section of Roman road at Brightwell-cum-Sotwell and the significance and background of this early road. The opposite wall focuses on metal detecting and the importance of responsible recording. The first thing that will catch your eye is a three-minute rolling slide-show of the archaeology team in action showing the sequence, methods and equipment used to explore and interpret our hidden heritage. Beneath this is an illuminated display of finds (all from Wallingford or neighbouring villages) including artefacts from the Bronze Age, through the Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, medieval and post-medieval, right up to the modern day.

Wallingford - Town guided History Walks every Saturday until end of September 2026

Whether you a visitor to Wallingford or a resident, of long-standing or new to the town, the guided town walks offer something for everyone. Led by the members of The Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society (TWHAS) the walks offer glimpses into the town’s history, that is there for us to see, but sometimes it takes a knowledgeable person to point them out.

•        Tours meet beneath the Town Hall in Wallingford Market Place and start at 11am. 

•        Cost is £5 per head, for a tour lasting between 90 -120 mins. 

•        Payment must be made by cash on the day

•        No advance booking just turn up

https://www.wallingfordmuseum.org.uk

June 10 (Weds) – Joe Trevorrow: “Hidden archaeology: cave paintings in Guyana - further discoveries”

https://www.twhas.org.uk/meetings-programme.html for the 2026 talks programme.

Sue Wright

Wallingford Museum