Thames Valley Museums

Did you know that there are over 70 museums in the Thames Valley?  There’s something to engage every age and interest. With international museums such as the Ashmolean in Oxford and the River & Rowing Museum which has been recognised as one of the top 50 Museums in the world by The Times.  The museum explores the River Thames, the international sport of Rowing and the town of Henley. The galleries include interactive displays as well as internationally-significant collections, including the family-friendly ‘Wind in the Willows’ gallery and a permanent display of the work of artist John Piper.

Museums continue to evolve and improve and one example is Abingdon County Hall Museum, which has had a Heritage Lottery funded refurbishment and as well as a contemporary permanent exhibition, has a cafe, and the County Hall Roof, sporting breath-taking views of the historic town and surrounding countryside.

Reading has some great museums including the Reading Museum which includes the famous Victorian copy of the Bayeux Tapestry and the Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL), England’s most extensive museum dedicated to farming, food, craft, rural life and countryside issues.

Another Thames Valley Museum includes the Stanley Spencer Gallery which first opened in 1962, three years after the artist's death. It has a wonderful collection of more than 100 of his paintings and drawings. In 2007 the Gallery was awarded a large grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund which enabled the former Methodist chapel to be transformed into a stunning exhibition space.