Discover the story of Bucks people and landscapes from 200 million years ago to today.
Discover Bucks Museum is proud to present our new Discover Bucks Galleries launching on 2 April from 11 am. These five brand new galleries tell the story of Bucks people and landscapes from 200 million years ago to today featuring star objects from the Museum collections.
Your journey starts 200 million years ago in the Discover Bucks Geology gallery, where fossils reveal the prehistoric creatures that swam in the Jurassic seas, including ferocious sea monsters, and the giant Woolly mammoths that lived here during the Ice Age.
In the Discover Bucks Archaeology gallery meet the earliest people to arrive in Bucks, discover a spectacular 3000-year-old sword, the first named woman in Bucks from Roman times, one of the largest hoards of Anglo-Saxon coins ever found with coins of Aethelred the Unready and Cnut the Great and the bones of a Saxon ‘Princess’ who was really a noblewoman from Aston Clinton.
The Discover Bucks People gallery brings you into more recent history and up to the present day and features a spectacular costume case displaying a Sikh bridal suit, an extraordinary piano with a harp on top called a Euphonicon from Claydon House and a carefully conserved section of Chinese wallpaper from Hampden House. Fascinating objects tell stories about people from different communities and video screens display 120 photos of Bucks people past and present celebrating their contribution and diversity.
Discover Bucks Art gallery tells a unique visual story of Bucks through artists past and present, including portraits of a Victorian jury, Aylesbury MP John Wilkes, to the magnificent Stowe statues of Saxon gods, and contemporary works, such as LGBTrees by a local artist from the LGBTQ community.
Our Discover Bucks Wildlife gallery will be completed over the summer and open later this year but already features an intriguing Black Poplar Tree replica cast from a tree in Vale Park, Aylesbury, in which you can find birds and insects if you look hard enough!
Launch Day will be a lively and special event to mark this historic day. Our curatorial team of experts will demonstrate the collections with handling objects and help you explore the stunning new displays. There will be a Bronze Age re-enactor working on a bronze age sword to guide you through prehistory exhibits.
Take part in art activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Paralympic Games and see the fabulous headdress from the 2012 Opening Ceremony on display, as well as the intricate motifs on the restored Chinese wallpaper from Hampden House.
Museum Director Sue Shave said, “We are immensely proud of these new galleries, which are an incredible achievement during a worldwide pandemic, and made possible by our dedicated staff, volunteers, Friends and Patrons and our local communities. These stunning new displays will transform the Museum experience for everyone and provide a platform for new programmes for families, adults and schools around themes provided by the inspiration from the star objects on display. This is the day that we have all been waiting for – to see a museum that is more reflective of our communities and their stories and showcases the beautiful and unique landscapes and heritage of the County.”
For Discover Bucks Museum opening times and ticket prices visit discoverbucksmuseum.org
Discover Bucks Galleries funders
Discover Bucks Museum is very grateful to all the Trusts, Foundations, Section 106 Funding and private donors who have helped to raise the funding needed to make these galleries a reality – full details of supporters found here.
