Horsham Museum & Art Gallery is closed until Summer 2021, as such we will not be hosting the Charity Christmas Card shop this year.

We are working hard behind the scenes to improve our customer offer but are happy to answer queries and research questions in the meantime. Contact the team via email at museum@horsham.gov.uk.

Blog

Written by the Museum team, the Blog brings you stories from Horsham District’s past, in-depth studies of curious objects, video tours behind-the-scenes in our galleries, and much more.

Use the search box and drop-down list to search for particular topics, or view all posts in date order.

Is there something you’d love us to write about? Email your ideas to museum@horsham.gov.uk

Colour photograph of a woman with a short grey bob wearing a purple jumper, Dr Annabelle Hughes. She is sat on an armchair in from of a patio door and next to a chess set.

Dr Annabelle Hughes (13/8/1941 - 28/11/2020)

Obituary of Dr Annabelle Hughes (13/8/1941 - 28/11/2020) by Jeremy Knight.

Published: 30 Nov 2020

Market Square Horsham

The Local Coffee Shop

Horsham Museum is looking at the early days of coffee drinking and the town’s first known café.

Published: 30 Nov 2020

gingerbread stand

Gingerbread

For centuries people have indulged in, snacked on, even licked gold leaf off, the humble gingerbread, but never before has any one produced such a detailed study of this popular delicacy.

Published: 25 Nov 2020

Image of vaccine

Vaccine Hope: an 18th century tale

Everyone is talking about the new COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine it is a strange word, obviously medical as most strange words tend to be. For many people the word has an 18th century connotation, this is due to an enormously important scientific discovery on par with the creation of the new COVID-19 vaccines.

Published: 24 Nov 2020

John Bishop postmark

Horsham Man Transforms World Trade

The physical delivery of cards or parcels in the post was made possible due to the work of a Henfield man. Whilst he has been celebrated in the small Sussex village and among philatelists, he is unknown to the wider public. Yet without his idea the service that we take for granted may not have developed.

Published: 18 Nov 2020

william penn

Warminghurst's role in the US Constitution

It may come as a surprise to our readers that some of the ideas behind the major arguments taking place across the pond during the election campaigns were formed in a tiny hamlet in Horsham District. That hamlet, Warminghurst, is known today for its wonderful 18th century church interior and was once the home of a “billionaire” property developer with a religious conscience. Over 300 years ago William Penn, the landowner, settled in Warminghurst where he and colleagues met to draft out how a new colonial government would work.

Published: 05 Nov 2020

Days out

Days Out

Many of our readers may have plans for a day trip, outing or break away from home this half-term. They will be in good company as Horshamites have been going on days out for centuries.

Published: 29 Oct 2020

Drill hall horsham dance photo

Horsham's Strictly Come Dancing

With Strictly Come Dancing back on our screens, we take look at some of the history of dancing in Horsham

Published: 23 Oct 2020

Jomo Kenyatta Storrington

Horsham's Black History

Jomo Kenyatta was one of the giants of post-war African history. A leader of people, a nation (Kenya) and eventual role model of African leadership, you might wonder how he is connected to a market-gardening farm near the small Sussex village of Storrington!

Published: 13 Oct 2020

Touhing memories

Touching Memories

A blog highlighting the relaunch of the Memory Box service at Horsham Museum.

Published: 08 Oct 2020