Salmonsbury – a celebration of landscape and history

Thousands of years of human history, from prehistoric settlement and Iron Age communities to Anglo-Saxon burials and medieval gatherings, are the focus of a new exhibition opening at Corinium Museum this September.

Salmonsbury, running from 10 September to 11 October, combines archaeology, contemporary art and archive material to tell the story of Salmonsbury Camp in Bourton-on-the-Water, one of the Cotswolds’ most remarkable historic and natural landscapes.

The Salmonsbury Exhibition, which is the culmination of a year-long collaboration between artists, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, and the Corinium Museum, is an exhibition of art created in response to the site and its archaeology, alongside artefacts from the archive.

During this exhibition, there will also an afternoon talk – Corinium Afternoon: Salmonsbury; – and a visit from Sally Pointer, award-winning experimental archaeologist and heritage educator, who will be leading a workshop ‘An Introduction to Prehistoric Textiles’

Salmonsbury Camp, a scheduled ancient monument in Bourton-on-the-Water, has been a focal point of human activity for thousands of years, with evidence of settlement from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages through to the Iron Age, Roman period, Anglo-Saxon era and medieval times.

Once the meeting place of the Salmonsbury hundred court and now a working farm and nature reserve, the site’s rich history is documented in the Corinium Museum’s archive, which contains records of excavations carried out between the 1930s and 2000s, including material connected to pioneering archaeologist Helen O’Neil.

The project investigated archaeological and artistic engagement to the historic and natural landscape and includes an engagement day on site. The artists exhibiting are Amanda Steer, Andy Freedman, Caroline Morris, Valerie Coffin Price, Ruth Broadbent and Zoe Ashbrook.

Caroline Morris, Corinium Museum’s Collections & Education Manager, said:

“Corinium Museum is privileged to be the custodian of archaeology from across the Cotswolds. The archaeology of Bourton-on-the-Water is very special, and the Salmonsbury Moot project is providing a great opportunity to share the remarkable archive on Salmonsbury Camp.”

Rhys Howell, Visitor Programming Manager, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust , said: “We’re proud to be the latest custodians of Greystones, with its human and natural history stretching back thousands of years. We’re looking forward to this event giving people a chance to connect with the landscape and its wildlife on a deeper level.”