Special Exhibitions 2025
'Barley to Beer' - Advance notice!
This exhibition will explore malting and brewing in Wallingford, as well as the history of its many pubs.
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‘Barley to Beer, the Story of Malting, Brewing and Pubs in Wallingford’
The countryside around Wallingford has always been suitable for the growing of barley and
since early times the barley has been malted and used for the brewing of beer.
The production of malt has been a major trade in the town since at least the 17th century.
Brewing developed as a Wallingford industry at about the same time, reaching its heyday in
the 19th century when Edward Wells' brewery was particularly well known for its stout beer.
The business became Wallingford Brewery Limited in 1896 with the name continuing until
around 1960, although brewing in Wallingford ceased in 1928.
Associated with brewing was, of course, drinking. The retail outlet was the inn, beer house or
public house. More than 50 pubs are known to have existed in the town - many at the same
time in the 19th century. Approaches to regulating beer drinking have ranged from who can
sell it and where they can sell it to limiting the times people can drink it in public places.
Sometimes these regulations arose in response to groups, such as the 19th century
Temperance Movement, who campaigned against alcohol which led to the closure of many
pubs in the early part of the 20th century. Wallingford Brewery even produced in 1908 a
‘Temperance drink’ called Footer, a precursor to today’s move towards low/zero alcoholic
drinks.
This exhibition tells the story of malting, brewing and drinking in Wallingford through the
centuries using the results of recent research.
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2.
'Ordeal by Innocence'
Laura Hope was commissioned by the Folio Society to create eight illustrations for the new edition of Agatha Christies 'Ordeal by Innocence'. Focusing on one glamorous family, this classic murder mystery drips with intrigue and suspicion from the outset.
Laura has been most generous with her work which covers her story from commissioning to publication and we will be showing this exhibition in 2025.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe(V E) Day. Wallingford Museum is marking this anniversary by showcasing local memorabilia, from local people and places, telling the stories of their involvement in the Second World War.
In addition you can discover the "What's in the Cupboard" interactive display, to learn more about war time food, or lack of it! You can handle replica ration books and other documents as well as seeing the ration for one person for one week during war time.
Wallingford Museum special exhibition to mark VJ Day(Victory in Japan)
VJ Day on August 15 will be the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, with the final surrender of the Japanese. Wallingford Museum will be marking this occasion with special new displays from 22 July until the end of August.
Artist Will Wilder from Crowmarsh was among thousands of prisoners captured at Singapore in 1942 and forced to work on building the Thai-Burma railway until VJ day 1945. Unlike so many of his friends, he somehow managed to survive and also brought home precious drawings he had made showing the conditions in which they had lived. He also kept a diary.
The exhibition tells his amazing story, illustrated by numerous original drawings that he had concealed from the guards by rolling them up in the hollow bamboo poles used in the structure of the prison camp huts! It is a remarkable story, not to be missed.
Exhibits also include the story of another local man, whose war was very different, but also ended in the Far East, assisting the return of the re-patriated soldiers.
