The Panacea Museum

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The Panacea Museum A social history museum telling the story of the Panacea Society, a religious community in Bedford

The Society was founded in 1919 by Mabel Barltrop, a 53-year-old widow who lived in Bedford. For 90 years, members of the society quietly lived, worked and worshipped God in their community. Although they took care to reveal little about themselves to outsiders, the society’s name became familiar to many people beyond Bedford through their national advertising campaign to open ‘Joanna Southcott’s Box’ a curious cultural icon of inter-war Britain. During the 1920s and 1930s the community grew to more than 70 resident members living in and around Albany Road in Bedford, with about 2,000 members living elsewhere across the world. Over 130,000 people applied to receive the Society’s method of healing through water – its ‘panacea’ to cure all illnesses. The Panacea Museum is in ‘Castleside’, a beautiful Victorian house that was part of the community’s headquarters. It tells the story of the Panacea Society and other similar religious groups. The museum also incorporates several other buildings, set within the gardens, that formed the original community’s ‘campus’.

Thank you for the listing Bedford Clanger !Beds Urban SketchersFull details about the exhibition and associated events h...
01/10/2026

Thank you for the listing Bedford Clanger !

Beds Urban Sketchers

Full details about the exhibition and associated events here:
https://panaceamuseum.org/events

Yay! The Beds Urban Sketchers are the cover pic for the what's on. Check out the collaborative exhibition here: https://...
01/10/2026

Yay! The Beds Urban Sketchers are the cover pic for the what's on. Check out the collaborative exhibition here: https://panaceamuseum.org/events/panacea-from-and-inspired-by

Happy What's on Wednesday, Bedford!

As ever, there's plenty to see and do throughout the Borough, from guided walks to exhibitions, markets to live music, and we've got it all here...

We have extended the closing date for the brilliant 'Panacea From and Inspired By' This special exhibition is a collabor...
29/09/2026

We have extended the closing date for the brilliant 'Panacea From and Inspired By'

This special exhibition is a collaboration with Beds Urban Sketchers and featuring works by Jacqui Saunders-Love . The displays will now close on Saturday 28th November.

This week, to celebrate the extension of this popular exhibition, we were very excited to install a brand new piece by Jacqui , 'The Chapel'.

There will also be a second Beds Urban Sketchers public drawing day- Saturday 17th October. Friendly USK volunteers will be onsite to help visitors have a go.
More details here: https://panaceamuseum.org/events

Credits L-R: Kevin Woods, 'Panacea Art Pilgrims'
Jacqui Saunders-Love, 'The Chapel'
Julian Gray, 'The Garden of Eden'
Rekha Sabu, sketchbook- 'Sitting Room, Founder's House'

This is the Panacea Museum's last full weekend opening for this year, so if a 🪷Sunday in the Garden of Eden🪷 is on you...
26/09/2026

This is the Panacea Museum's last full weekend opening for this year, so if a 🪷Sunday in the Garden of Eden🪷 is on your list, come and see us.
Open Sat 26th / Sun 27th 11am - 5pm (last entry 4.30)

✅ Special art exhibition from Beds Urban Sketchers
✅ Women's history, religious history, stunning Victorian buildings
✅ Toasted teacakes and pots of tea
✅ Beautiful Gardens

New articles from Centre for the Critical Study of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements
23/09/2026

New articles from Centre for the Critical Study of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements

Category: Podcast Tagged: September 23, 2026 Continuing the celebration of over ten years of the University of Cambridge's CenSAMM (founded 2015), we offer more podcasts on some of the topics covered or touched upon over the past decade. Two podcasts are now available as companions to new CDAMM arti...

23/09/2026

The Panacea Tea Room will be closed on
Thursday 24th September due to staff illness.
Our apologies for any disappointment.

Volunteer Valerie just restocked our charity plant stall! ( Sue Ryder )Pop along during Museum opening hours to grab a b...
19/09/2026

Volunteer Valerie just restocked our charity plant stall! ( Sue Ryder )
Pop along during Museum opening hours to grab a bargain.

The Panacea Museum is open Thursday - Sunday, 11am - 5pm during September.

19/09/2026

A new exhibition includes information about a best-selling book that was inspired by a cemetery.

Address

11 Newnham Road
Bedford
MK403NX

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+441234353178

Website

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