September 2026 Newsletter
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Combe Down Art Trail, Heritage Open Days and Clay Pipes
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Throughout the year, the museum has been putting up much-needed new object labels. This month we have also put up temporary versions of our new geology boards. We’re looking for feedback on both to ensure their readability for visitors. Next time you come visit the museum, do let us know what you think as we work to improve our accessibility.
The Combe Down Art Trail is this weekend! We are again hosting the Snapshot exhibition, which features a piece of art by each participating artist. You can find out more about the event on their website.
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Heritage Open Days is on across the country from 11th to 20th September 2026. As part of their theme Everyday Histories, we will have a temporary display Lives of the Quarrymen, which will feature stories from select newspaper articles found during research by Neville Redvers-Higgins, the Archaeological Project Lead of the Stabilisation Project.
Our additional opening hours are:
Saturday 19th September: 11:00-15:00
Sunday 20th September: 11:00-15:00
There’s plenty of other events across Bath & North East Somerset, you can see what else is on here.
Some events from our friends include:
- Saltford Brass Mill Open Day - Saturday 12th September - 10:00-16:00
- Bath Jewish Burial Ground Open Day - Sunday 13th September 2026 11:00-16:00
- Museum of Bath at Work - Lights! Camera! Action! History of Cinema Going in Bath (talk) - Tuesday 15th September 11:00-12:00
- The Roman Baths - Discovering The Romans: Everyday Archaeology, Amazing Lives (handling event, booking required) - Thursday 17th September 2026 5:00-6:00 & 6:30-7:30
- Prior Park Landscape Garden Open Days - Friday 18th September: 10:00-16:00 & Saturday 19th September: 10:00-16:00
- The History of the Georgian Guildhall (talk held in the Brunswick Room, Guildhall, email archives@bathnes.gov.uk to book) - Friday 18th September: 11:00
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New Research Tool: Quarrymen of Combe Down
Created by Neville Redvers-Higgins (Archaeological Project Lead for Oxford Archaeology during the Stabilisation Project), this spreadsheet collates research from several sources on what we know about the individual quarrymen of Combe Down.
We hope this table of names will be useful to researchers of the history of Combe Down, underground stone quarrying, and family history. You can find more information and a link to download the spreadsheet on our website here.
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Clay Pipes
Last month, we finished mounting our clay pipe collection on Plastazote foam to better protect it. We used this opportunity to research the clay pipe makers. The clay pipes are significant to the stabilisation project because the makers’ marks helped archaeologists date the quarries.
The most unique one in our collection is the decorative pipe bowl above, believed to be made by Joseph Sants, who had a factory on Bridewall Lane and later Milk Street in the 1830s-1870s. This is a “Turk’s head” caricature bowl, thought to have come into use after the start of the Crimean War in 1853.
You can read the story of the uncovering of the Bridewall Lane factory by Cotswold Archaeology in 2015-2016 on their website.
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The talks hosted by the Combe Down Heritage Society are resuming this month.
Wednesday 16th September - “Europe’s Great Witch Hunt” by Professor Ronald Hutton. “Between 1424 and 1782 Europe experienced widespread witch hunts. This talk examines their causes, the peak during the Scientific Revolution, their decline, regional concentration, and why most victims were women.” Held at Combe Down Primary School Hall in Summer Lane, BA2 5JX.
Wednesday 28th October - “Medicine, Ministry and Learning Difficulties” by The Revd. Chris Absolom, Associate Minister of St James the Great, Southstoke. “Chris will be recounting his journey through life, from being a GP in a local Somerset practice to re-training for the ministry at Southstoke Church and surrounding villages.” Held at at The Hub, Mulberry Park, BA2 5BU.
Doors open at 7pm, events start at 7.30pm. If you would like to find out more about the work they do to help preserve and celebrate the heritage of Combe Down, you can go to their website.
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