Charlbury and St John’s College, Oxford, have had important ties for over 450 years. This talk by Professor William Whyte, Fellow of St John’s College, will explore the history of those links and how they continue to this day. The talk will take place in St Mary’s Church, Charlbury on 1st October at 7pm. Tickets …
Charlbury Museum is delighted to announce that it has been awarded official UK Museum Accreditation by Arts Council England. The Museum Accreditation Scheme provides a nationally recognised framework for museums to show that they are well managed, care for collections responsibly, and provide meaningful experiences for visitors. It also encourages confidence among funders by demonstrating …
Charlbury Post Office has played an important role in the town for well over 100 years. In the past it employed many people who sorted and delivered mail round the town by bicycle. This photograph of the staff was taken around 1912 outside their office which at that time was located in a building next …
This beautiful brass clock face was made in Charlbury by Thomas Gilkes and probably dates to the 1770s. It is engraved with a simple foliate design and is signed ‘Gilkes, Charlbury’. The longcase 30hour clock stands seven feet tall, in a pine case. It reflects the characteristic style of the North Oxfordshire Quaker clocks of …
The museum was pleased to purchase this amusing print from Sanders of Oxford with a bequest left to the museum. The print is from an engraving by Joseph Winkelman, who lived in ‘Heathfield’ in Browns Lane from the mid-1970s until the early 1980s. From the windows of his house he must have seen many traffic …
We are very lucky to have a keen detectorist living in Charlbury, Neil Pakenham-Walsh. In preparation for our current exhibition on the history of the Playing Close, Neil obtained permission from the Thomas Gifford Trust to search the Close to see what he could find, Along with a lot of modern ring pulls and other …
Our conservation cleaning team has undertaken specialist cleaning of museum objects during 2026. Key to this has been the purchase of a new ‘Conservac’ museum hoover thanks to a grant from the Charlbury Beer Festival awarded in November 2025. This has enabled our hard-working volunteers to safely remove dust and other dirt from objects which …
The Playing Close has been at the centre of Charlbury life for hundreds of years. But it wasn’t always the tranquil, green space that it is today. In the past it rang with the sounds of sawing and hammering, of sheep and horses brought to market there, and smelt strongly of dung and smoke. People …
After 75 years as part of the Charlbury Society, the Museum has now become a charity in its own right. We are now registered with the Charity Commission as a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation), run by a committee of volunteer Trustees. The Trustees are supported by other volunteers working behind the scenes and by a …
On Sunday 25th August 2025, as part of the Charlbury Arts Festival, the museum organised a walk and talk event exploring the history of the Playing Close. A pleasing number of people came to hear how the Close and surrounding houses have changed over the centuries. As early as 1447 this area was used …