FROM A LONG-HELD HOPE AND AMBITION TO OUR AMAZING SMALL MUSEUM!
The Museum began life as a treasured hope and ambition amongst a few Eynsham residents and members of Eynsham History Group. There were interesting collections of objects, pictures, documents, and stories scattered around the village in private hands and in museum storage but no safe, permanent home for them to be on display and protected for future generations.
By 2017 serious fundraising had started and Eynsham Museum Fund was set up by a small group of volunteers. After some generous private donations, some grants from the Eynsham History Group and the Eynsham Society, plus fundraising events, we were ready to look for a site to set up a permanent local museum and explored several options.
We achieved Charitable status in 2021 (Charity number 1197006) and recruited the invaluable help of 7 hardworking, volunteer Trustees plus 3 other volunteer committee members who help with the many tasks involved with running a museum.
The Eynsham Heritage Day in March 2022, organised jointly with the Museum Resources Centre and exhibiting many of the finds from Eynsham Abbey, attracted over 600 people and convinced us of the demand for a museum in Eynsham.
In 2023 we were offered the perfect location by Eynsham Parish Council and signed a 25-year lease at the Bartholomew Room in the Square. We then got to work planning the permanent exhibition and seeking grants to pay for our display cabinets, museum lighting, and interpretation boards. We are entirely reliant on grants, fundraisers, and donations as we have no regular funding.
We held 2 temporary exhibitions in 2023 to 2025 – ‘Eynsham’s Lost Railway’ and ‘Rural Eynsham’. You can find more about them on our website – www.eynshammuseum.org.uk. The incredible working model of Eynsham Station and its surroundings, created and regularly maintained by Dave Thomas, has now become part of our permanent exhibition.
In the Autumn of 2025, we were delighted to open the permanent exhibitions described above, with the help of a dedicated team of volunteer stewards who are so generous with their time.
We are very grateful for generous support from our ‘Friends’ organisation and other private donors, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Doris Field Trust, Eynsham Parish Council, Polar Technology, Siemens Healthineers, 3D Aluminium and Darnells Ltd, people and village groups who have supported our fundraising events and the many visitors to the museum who gave us their donations. Also, to all the hirers of the downstairs room whose contributions help us keep our heads above water and cope with the escalating costs of utilities and insurance.
We have had great support and advice from the Oxfordshire Museum Resources Centre and the University of Oxford Natural History Museum who have loaned us objects on display.
Thank you too to the many individuals who have kindly loaned or given some of the artefacts on display.
Plus - last but definitely not least - we are very appreciative of all the volunteers who roll up their sleeves to offer us practical help, advice, and expertise…
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organising our stewards
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managing the hire of our downstairs room
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creating and running our website
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drilling and fitting display boards
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woodworking and carpentry
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helping with IT
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examining our accounts
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organising fundraising events
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helping with social media and newsletters
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putting us on Google maps
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researching aspects of Eynsham’s history
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getting out the mops and brooms to keep the museum clean and shiny!
If you would like to get involved in any way or become a ‘Friend’ or make a donation, please contact us at info@eynshammuseum.org or you can phone 01865 880976 or speak to one of our stewards when the museum is open.