Trowbridge Museum & Art Gallery
Free museum in a Grade II listed former woollen mill inside The Shires shopping centre, telling about 1,000 years of Trowbridge and its cloth trade.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Trowbridge Museum is housed in Home Mills, a Grade II listed former woollen cloth mill. It was the last working woollen mill in the town and the largest. The mill was built in 1772 and rebuilt in 1862–1863 after a major fire, and the museum has occupied it since 1990. The building now stands within The Shires shopping centre.
The museum tells the story of Trowbridge from medieval times, when it was a baron’s town in the age of Magna Carta, to its years as a major mill town producing West of England cloth. Objects, textile machinery and images are shown on two floors of interactive displays, supported by a Heritage Lottery Fund redevelopment. Visitors can try weaving in a break-out area, and the Learning Hub on the top floor hosts workshops and events.
The museum is run by Trowbridge Town Council. It has a handling collection and offers schools workshops from the early years to Key Stage 2 and beyond, as well as craft sessions, talks and walks for adults and children.
Highlights
- Home Mills, the town’s last working woollen mill
- Two floors of interactive displays on Trowbridge’s history
- Weaving break-out area
- Stumpy the Sheep
- Views across Wiltshire from the Learning Hub
- Operated by
- Trowbridge Town Council
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry to the museum is free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A lift serves both floors, which are level. The winding staircase has 41 steps to the first floor and a further 23 to the second. Accessible toilets and baby-changing facilities are on both floors. The museum offers a sensory map with motion-triggered audio, easy-read guides to the entrance, lift and stairs, and an access policy.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
Children’s holiday craft sessions are held, and the interactive displays include object handling, dressing up and a weaving break-out area. Baby-changing facilities are on both floors.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Trowbridge railway station · 5-min walk
The museum is about a five-minute walk from Trowbridge railway station. Bus routes are listed on the museum’s visit page.
By car
Parking available
Use the car park next to Asda, reached from Bythesea Road; the entrance to The Shires is close to it. Charges are not stated.
From the entrance to The Shires, go straight on to Boswell’s Cafe, take the left fork, and the museum is on the left.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
There is no museum café; Boswell’s Cafe in The Shires is passed on the way to the museum, and picnic facilities are available. Wi-Fi is mentioned for the paid desk and workspace offers in the galleries and research library.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The Learning Hub on the top floor can be divided into two rooms for talks, workshops and meetings, from £27 an hour for the full room or £17 an hour for half. Desks in the research library cost £10 an hour and casual workspace in the galleries £20 a day.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Walks and talks for adults are held as part of the lifelong learning programme. School visits usually take place in the morning and finish by 2pm. The museum is busiest on Saturdays and school-holiday mornings, so visitors are encouraged to phone ahead. |
