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

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Two volunteers standing by the museum reception

Horsham Museum Needs You!

The Museum and Art Gallery is lucky to have so many dedicated volunteers who support the work we do. Not only were they instrumental in the recent refresh of the museum but work hard to support the operation on a daily basis as well. We are currently looking for more Welcome Desk and Family Activity Volunteers. Do you have what it takes to join the team?

Published: 26 Apr 2022

objects of curiosity

Cabinets of Curiosity

Read on to discover more about the fascinating history of cabinets of curiosity; the displays that delighted the early modern world and eventually led to the creation of museums, and learn more about Horsham museum's very own cabinet of curiosity.

Published: 20 Apr 2022

Photograph of various spring bulbs

A Botanical Celebration: A Photographer's Perspective

Horsham Museum and Art Gallery’s spring exhibition will display the work of botanical photographer, Eleanor Coate, whose photography perfectly captures the plants of Britain, both cultivated and wild. Her framed photographic prints focus on different habitats and seasons and even include a selection of plants from the museum’s own Sylvia Standing Garden.

Published: 12 Apr 2022

Black and white image of an old school house

Storrington Museum

Storrington and District Museum is located within the Horsham District at the foot of the South Downs and is the perfect stop for a day exploring the local area. The museum also hosts a series of events from live music, to talks on local history.

Published: 08 Apr 2022

Barn against blue sky

Horsham Museum Barn and a Lost Country House

From 31 March 2022 the barn at Horsham Museum will reopen. You could be forgiven for thinking that the barn has always been found in the garden, and is an outbuilding of Causeway House (now the museum) but you would be wrong. The barn is in fact a museum object itself and was acquired in 1977 when the land it was on was sold. It needed to be removed in 10 days. It would be reassembled in the garden in the years following and opened on 30 March 1984. The barn was part of the Hills Place Estate, a lost country house once located just beyond the Bishopric on the way out of Horsham. Find out more about Hills Place in this post.

Published: 26 Mar 2022

A photo of a world war two display cabinet

Creating a New Display

Read on to discover how a new display is created at Horsham museum, and follow the process from the inception to the final result.

Published: 19 Feb 2022

World war two memorabilia

What's on - February Half Term 2022

This February half term there is plenty to see at Horsham Museum including a new display of one of the permanent galleries and a children's trail. The museum building, gallery of historic bikes and walled garden will be open to visit and an exhibition of landscape artworks by Robin Alexander Elliott can be viewed in the temporary exhibition spaces.

Published: 12 Feb 2022

A photograph of the Chaenomeles (Flowering Quince) in the museum garden

A garden springing to life

Despite it being early February, it’s surprising how much colour can be found in the museum garden already. Over the last month, we have enjoyed a beautiful display from our two Chaenomeles (Flowering Quince) bushes, as well as a host of Hellebores with their creamy white flowers putting on a show around the dragon statue.

Published: 04 Feb 2022

Medieval pots, the Horsham Hoard

Medieval Ceramics

Read on to learn a little more about the history of Pottery in England and about the unique ceramics local to Horsham, on display at the Museum.

Published: 29 Jan 2022

Abstract landscape of a field and buildings

Radically Different Landscapes by Robin Alexander Elliott

Horsham Museum and Art Gallery’s first exhibition of 2022 will showcase the work of Robin Alexander Elliott. Robin studied Fine Art at Sidcup School of Art in the 50s under the tutelage of Frank Auerbach, but it was during his time in National Service in the Yorkshire Dales that he was inspired to capture the drama of the Dales landscape on canvas.

Published: 18 Jan 2022