Herefordshire Museums & Galleries

Name: Herefordshire Museums & Galleries
Address: Museum Resource & Learning Centre, Hereford, HR40AS, GB
Telephone: +441432260694
Price range: £

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Herefordshire Museums & Galleries

Where Herefordshire’s stories find their voice. Herefordshire Museum Service runs three sites across the county.

Our sites are in the county town of Hereford - these are Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, the Black and White House and the Museum Resource and Learning Centre.

04/09/2026

🦁🦓 September’s is an animal anomaly! 🐘🦏 🦒
What do you think these little creatures are meant to be? Let us know in the comments!

Here we have two delightfully mysterious creatures from a toy Noah's Ark dating to the 1820s. They are just two of the many hand-carved animals that once formed part of this charming set. Whilst most of the animals are easy to identify, we're still scratching our heads over this rather endearing pair.

Are they horses? Dogs? Some long-lost species known only to early 19th-century toymakers?

🦁🦓 Whatever they are, their wonky features and unmistakable personalities have certainly made them favourites in the museum stores. 🐘🦏🦒

HMAG Accession Number: 3728

01/09/2026

⏰ Join our waitlist for Mosaic Makeover Volunteering Day — happening on 19 September! 🧱✨

This event will bean opportunity to gently clean and care for our beautiful Roman mosaic, learn about its history, and help preserve it for the future.
✅ All materials provided
☕ Light refreshments
👨‍👩‍👧 Family-friendly fun

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this hands-on heritage event — sign up today! 👉 Contact: [email protected] for more details

27/08/2026

🎨✨Don't miss your chance to explore history through printmaking. Whether you're a history lover, a seasoned crafter, or simply looking to try something creative, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn a new skill and connect with Herefordshire's rich heritage.✨🎨

📅 Thursday 1 October
⏰ 5:30pm - 7:00pm (please arrive 15 minutes early)
📍
💷 £15 per person
🎟️ Book your place today: https://orlo.uk/F74mN

Join us in one week's time for Treasures in Print: Printmaking Inspired by the Herefordshire Hoard at Ewyas Harold Craft Centre. Discover the fascinating stories hidden within the Herefordshire Hoard and create your own prints inspired by Anglo-Saxon and Viking art in this fun, hands-on workshop. All materials are provided, and beginners are very welcome.

23/08/2026

🌾✨ features Corn! ✨🌾
Beautifully intricate and rich in tradition, these corn dollies from the Hereford Museum collection were created by Lettice Sandford, helping to carry forward the revival of this remarkable rural craft.

Made from carefully woven cereal straw, corn dollies have long been associated with the spirit of the harvest. Traditionally, it was believed that the final sheaf of grain cut during harvest contained the "corn spirit" or life force of the crop. By weaving the straw into decorative forms, that spirit could be preserved through the winter and returned to the fields the following spring, helping to ensure future abundance and fertility.

While corn dollies are strongly associated with British agricultural traditions, similar harvest customs can be found across cultures around the world, reflecting a shared connection between communities, the land and the cycles of nature.

Looking closely at these examples, it's impossible not to admire the extraordinary skill involved. Each twist, braid and plait transforms simple straw into an object of beauty, symbolism and cultural memory.

🌾 Do you remember seeing corn dollies displayed in homes, churches or at harvest festivals? 🌾

Herefordshire History Rural Media

20/08/2026

🏰⚔️ Just 2 weeks left to complete the Knight's Trail! ⚔️🏰

Our young adventurers have been embarking on a journey through the Old House Museum all summer, discovering fascinating facts about medieval life, taking on interactive games and challenges, including leaving their mark on our wonderful 'Tapestry of Quests'.

We've already received some fantastic contributions to the tapestry, and there's still time to add your own story to this growing medieval masterpiece!

🛡️ Follow the trail
⚔️ Complete the challenges
🏰 Discover life in medieval times
🎨 Add your mark to the Tapestry of Quests

Best of all, the Knight's Trail is completely free for under-16s and is available during Old House opening hours.

Don't miss your chance to beat the quest before it ends. Gather your fellow knights and set off on your adventure today!

13/08/2026

👶 Were you weighed on these scales? 💬 Were you, your children, or grandchildren born at Hereford County Hospital during this period? Comment below; we would love to hear your memories! 💬

These baby scales were used at Hereford County Hospital from at least 1987 until 2016, before being replaced by digital equipment. For nearly two decades, from 1987 to 2006, they were used in the maternity unit to weigh newborn babies. That means if you were born in Hereford during those years, there's a good chance your very first weigh-in happened right here!

In their later years, the scales found a new role in an operating theatre before retiring from service in 2016.Objects like this remind us that the history of healthcare isn't just about major medical breakthroughs. It's also about everyday moments, from a baby's first measurements to the dedicated staff who cared for generations of Herefordshire families.

HMAG Accession Number: 2016-28

Wye Valley NHS Trust Royal College of Nursing British Society for the History of Medicine

12/08/2026

🎨✨ Uncover the art of the past and create something uniquely your own! ✨🎨

Its that time again for another Treasures in Print: Printmaking Inspired by the Herefordshire Hoard! This time, Ewyas Harold Craft Centre will be hosting us on Thursday 1 October, 5:30pm to 7:00pm.

🎟️ Spaces are limited, so book your place today: https://orlo.uk/9rKmq
💷 £15 per person

Discover the fascinating stories behind the Herefordshire Hoard and explore Anglo-Saxon and Viking-inspired designs through a hands-on printmaking workshop. All materials are provided, and no previous experience is needed.

Whether you're a history enthusiast, a creative maker, or simply looking to try something new, this is a fantastic opportunity to connect with local heritage and take home your own handmade prints.

The Herefordshire Guild of Designer Makers Herefordshire Art & Craft Society

09/08/2026

We're delighted that Old House Hereford is in such wonderful company in the Herefordshire County BID / Visit Herefordshire Businesses Visitor Attraction of the Year category at the Tourism Awards. What a fantastic showcase of the incredible attractions, experiences and hospitality that Herefordshire has to offer

07/08/2026

🪨 🛠️ This month's is a flint adze dating to the Neolithic-Early Bronze Age that was found near the Colwall Tunnel in 1931. 🪨 🛠️

An adze is a woodworking tool whose cutting edge is attached at a right angle to the handle (a process known as hafting), unlike an axe, where the blade runs parallel. It was used for chopping and shaping wood, including felling trees.

This adze was made by carefully shaping flint through a process known as flint knapping. It is a striking example of how people adapted and transformed their environment thousands of years ago.

Around 4000 BCE, communities in Britain began moving from a mobile hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled farming. Tools like this were essential for clearing woodland to create fields and pastures for agriculture.

Flint is not native to Herefordshire, meaning either the raw material or the finished tool travelled here. This highlights the movement of materials and people across Britain during this period.

Agriculture remains at the heart of Herefordshire today, making this small tool a fascinating link between the county's prehistoric past and its present.

Accession Number: 1306

06/08/2026

📜 Object Spotlight: A Helmet from the Wars of the Roses ⚔️

This remarkable 15th-century iron helmet was discovered in the River Lugg at Lugwardine, just outside Hereford. Identified as a barbuta, a style of helmet made in Italy around 1460, it is a rare find in Britain and offers a fascinating glimpse into medieval warfare.

Even more intriguingly, the helmet dates to the same period as the Battle of Mortimer's Cross (1461), one of the most significant battles of the Wars of the Roses, fought just 20 miles upstream. Could it have belonged to a soldier caught up in those turbulent events? We'll never know for certain, but it provides a tangible link to a pivotal moment in Herefordshire's history.

🏰 Want to discover more medieval treasures and stories?

Come and visit Herefordshire Museums & Galleries at the Medieval Hereford Festival on 15th and 16th August. You'll find us outside the West Front of Hereford Cathedral, where we'll be sharing other fascinating objects from the collection and activities for all ages.

👋 Be sure to come and say hello. We'd love to meet you!

Hereford Business Improvement District Hereford Cathedral

Address

Museum Resource & Learning Centre
Hereford
HR40AS

Telephone

+441432260694

Website

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/history-lives

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