The Oxfordshire Museum is housed in a large 18th century house in the historic town of Woodstock. A Garden Gallery for touring exhibitions complements the permanent displays.
Delightful, secluded garden provides a tranquil setting for sculpture exhibitions in the summer months. Coffee shop serving sandwiches, cakes and light lunches.
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New Gallery opens at the Oxfordshire Museum
"Oxfordshire is the most rural county in the South East of England."
The new gallery 'Our Changing Countryside' is a thought-provoking look at the rapid changes that have occurred in farming, transport and rural development since 1945 and some of the unexpected effects that have become apparent on wildlife and climate. Starting with a nostalgic view of country life recorded in 1946 in the film '24 square miles', which featured village activities near Banbury, the exhibition quickly turns to more recent events. Do you remember your first sight of Didcot Power Station, a Red Kite or a field of oilseed rape? These now familiar sights were unknown in Oxfordshire just 60 years ago.
Villages are no longer self-contained communities with life revolving around agriculture. New roads, housing developments and industries share the countryside with farming, wildlife and local residents, who use cars more than any previous generation.
This interactive exhibition will intrigue visitors of all ages. Try using Google Earth to see a satellite view of the county and then zoom in to find out more. Or find out about food rationing, new crops found in Oxfordshire, how the railways and roads have changed or tell us about your countryside concerns. From statistics about who uses the M40 to why we almost starved during WW2 and how this affected post war agriculture, you will find out something that will surprise you
