Dr Jenner's House

29/05/2026

As you'll have seen from our posts this year, there's a lot going on at Dr Jenner's House. Thanks to the , last year we began the first phase of our Re-Jenner-ation Programme to secure the future of the museum. A major part of that work was the restoration and interpretation of the Temple of Vaccinia. We’re now looking ahead to the next stage of this exciting journey.

Our plans include restoring the house and gardens, improving access and learning opportunities, caring for our collections and creating a sustainable future for this internationally important museum.

To make this vision a reality, we need your support. Alongside major grants, we are aiming to raise at least £400,000 in match funding. Every contribution, large or small, will make a real difference.

You can support the museum by donating, or by joining our Members or Patrons schemes. Find out more at: www.jennermuseum/support

Together, we can preserve and share Dr Jenner’s extraordinary legacy for generations to come.

Thank you 💚

27/05/2026

Don't forget - tomorrow is the free community day at Dr Jenner's House. Join us for a day of family fun and share your thoughts about the future of the museum on giant graffiti wall. See you there! 😎🌼

26/05/2026

Everyone's welcome to join us on Thursday 28 May for a FREE Community Day! We'll be celebrating Dr Jenner's Birthday with the newly opened Temple of Vaccinia and host of fun activities.

Don't miss free drop in children's illustration workshops at 11.15 or 12.30. See you there!

25/05/2026

Enjoy some the wonderful music of Orchestra in this special concert at St Mary's Church, Berkeley in aid of Dr Jenner's House. The programme features Dvorak's Symphony no.8, Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Bizet's Jeux d'enfants. 🎶

Full details and tickets via www.thornburyorchestra.org.uk, or buy on the door. The evening will also include a brief talk on what's happening at Dr Jenner's House and how you can get involved. 🙋🙋‍♂

25/05/2026

We’re really pleased to share that we’ve completed our 'Re-Jenner-ation of the Collection' at Dr Jenner’s House & Garden, a practical, behind-the-scenes project that’s already making a big difference to how we care for and manage our collections.

Thanks to this support we’ve been able to:

- Improve light management (including UV protection) to reduce risk to sensitive objects and furnishings
- Upgrade showcase lighting to improve safety and visibility
- Strengthen collections documentation and review work with our Collections Volunteers
- Refresh essential equipment and materials to support ongoing collections work
- Deliver specialist training (including conservator-led support) to build long-term skills and resilience

This project has been delivered through AIM Museum Fundamentals funded by Pilgrim Trust and The Julia Rausing Trust.

Huge thanks to Association of Independent Museums it leaves a lasting legacy for the museum, our volunteers, and everyone who visits.

22/05/2026

Come and see our new exhibition:

Under the Skin: A Complicated History of Vaccine Confidence

Dr Jenner's House is pleased to present Under the Skin, a new temporary exhibition exploring the complicated history of vaccine confidence, resistance and public trust. Blending art, science, and history, the exhibition traces debates around vaccination from Jenner’s cowpox vaccine to the present day, asking how fear, lived experience, misinformation, inequality and institutional trust have shaped public responses to vaccination.

Under the Skin invites visitors to look beyond simple divisions and consider what we can learn by listening to one another with curiosity and humanity.

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

Happy International Museums Day from Dr Jenner’s House.

Museums are not just places that keep the past safe. At their best, they help us understand the present and imagine a better future.

Here in Berkeley, we care for a small house, a remarkable garden, and the Temple of Vaccinia the modest building where Edward Jenner offered vaccination freely to local people. It is a humble place with a global story.

This week, as we reopen the restored Temple of Vaccinia, we are reminded why museums matter. They hold stories of curiosity, courage, community and care. They help us ask big questions. They bring people together. And sometimes, they show us that world-changing ideas can begin in the smallest of places.

Thank you to everyone who supports Dr Jenner’s House, our visitors, volunteers, trustees, staff, partners and friends. And thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, whose support has helped us restore the Temple and share its story more widely.

Come and step inside the place where vaccination began and see how ideas can change the world.


The National Lottery Heritage Fund

17/05/2026

Wonderful to see NHS Gloucestershire marking Edward Jenner’s birthday today.

Here in Berkeley, Jenner’s story feels especially close: a local doctor, a small garden building, and a legacy that helped change global public health.

The restored Temple of Vaccinia reopens to the public today at Dr Jenner’s House — the place where visitors can step closer to the beginnings of vaccination.

Thank you to NHS Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust for sharing and for helping keep Jenner’s legacy alive.