Railway through the Vale
A 7.9m (almost 26ft) long model railway is the new exhibit in the Main Gallery of the Museum in Wantage. The Railway through the Vale exhibit provides some much needed emphasises to the relevance of railway transport to local trades and industries of the area.
Space does not allow a true representation of the Great Western Railway near to Wantage, but this model does bring a flavour of the railway as it passes through the Vale downland. Undulating landscape, chalk cuttings, woodland, horses, and grazing sheep & cattle are all represented. The fine panoramic photograph is by Tony Hadland.
Children, and many adults, will be especially attracted to the interactive aspect of the Railway through the Vale exhibit. Press one of the buttons on the exhibit and a train will travel from one end to the other and then back again – all with realistic acceleration and top speed. There are two trains here; one is a 1930s diesel railcar in GWR brown & cream - nicknamed the flying banana, and the other, a 2-car diesel unit – a 1987 a type 155 Sprinter.
To get technical, the trains are both from the current Hornby catalogue, and the track is by Peco - OO gauge with code 100 rail. Most of the landscape, including the many trees, is constructed from materials imported by Bachmann Europe PLC and readily available in many model shops.
The idea for the exhibit originated many years ago but, the significant work started in October 2007 and was completed for the Wantage Dickensian Evening in December 2008. The work was managed by Michael Watts and ably carried out by Museum volunteers; Howard Raimbach, Raymond Sherwood, Dennis Simpkin, together with the additional support of French trainee-engineer Benoît Chaffanon, during the 2008 summer vacation.
This new Railway through the Vale exhibit can be seen and operated during the usual Museum opening hours: Monday - Saturday (not Bank Holidays) 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.
Upper Gallery
The museum's Upper Gallery is available for hire by local artists and craftsmen to exhibit their work. The aim is to provide quality exhibitions which will be of interest to museum visitors as well as helping to raise funds towards the running costs of the Museum.
The Upper Gallery is suitable both for established artists as well as those exhibiting for the first time. Applications are welcomed from solo exhibitors, art groups or artists wishing to hold a joint exhibition with friends.
For further information and available dates contact us on 01235 771447 (Monday - Friday).
CURRENT UPPER GALLERY EXHIBITIONS
Squires Room
The Squires Room provides the opportunity to display exhibitions of a thematic or local history context. Some of these exhibitions are part of the temporary exhibitions programme of Oxfordshire County Council. Others are put together by local enthusiasts or in conjunction with other museums, such as High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) or the Museum of Computing (Swindon). Recent themes have included the Letcombe Brook conservation project, the history of computer games consoles, Faces of Oxfordshire, the Victorians and the story of the Autotype company. Occasionally, an exhibitor makes use of both the Upper Gallery and the Squires Room for their work. We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to present an exhibition.
CURRENT SQUIRES ROOM EXHIBITIONS
The Foyer
The Foyer area, just inside the Museum's front door, is used for occasional small displays. These are sometimes on a historical theme, such as the 'Coming Home' exhibition, staged in summer 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War 2. Often the foyer is used for craft displays, such as weaving or flower arranging, or for musical performances, such as handbell ringing or acoustic folk music.
CURRENT FOYER EXHIBITIONS
Children’s Discovery Area
The Children's Discovery Area houses three interactive computer presentations: Wantage Market Place, the Wantage Tramway and the White Horse. Brass rubbings can be produced with materials available for a small fee from the museum's reception. A video macroscope, which magnifies up to two hundred times, enables visitors to see small objects on a monitor. A library sets the scene for a quiet area. This part of the museum is, unfortunately, not yet accessible to wheelchair users. However, by prior arrangement, we will do our best to bring Discovery Area facilities to the ground floor level for users who cannot manage the stairs.
The Downland Kitchen
Situated in the Old Surgery, next to the Squires Room, the Downland Kitchen recreates the atmosphere of a local farm kitchen in the late Victorian era. It is full of authentic fixtures and fittings. You will find it fascinating to see how much things have changed in little more than a lifetime. |
What you'll find:
Alfred the Great: Warrior and Visionary King
It brings together archaeological finds such as Anglo-Saxon jewellery, weapons, ceramics and objects from everyday life from the Vale of the White Horse and beyond and also gives an insight into local people’s lives during the sixth to ninth century. The exhibition was opened by Phil Harding of TV’s Time Team. Phil Harding said of the exhibition: “It’s been a good year for Saxons, with lots of good finds. The exhibition is a great thing to put together and I expect people to flock through the doors for this.” The exhibition is very family orientated and features hands-on games for all ages. Children can find out what people wore from original artefacts and then try dressing like an Anglo–Saxon from a selection of dressing up costumes.