Richard Jefferies Museum
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rjmuseum.bsky.social
Richard Jefferies Museum
@rjmuseum.bsky.social
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Small community-run museum and gardens at the birthplace of Victorian naturalist and author Richard Jefferies in Swindon, Wiltshire.

"The lover of nature has the highest art in his soul."

Official Bluesky account from the Richard Jefferies Museum, run by
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Richard Jefferies Museum @rjmuseum.bsky.social · 16d
Ready to launch... 🚀

On this day, Richard Jefferies' 177th birthday, we are launching our fundraiser for our NEXT BIG THING, the Centre for Arts and Wildlife!

www.rjcaw.org

#arts #wildlife #fundraising #Swindon
An artist's sketch of what a new community building / hall could look like on our proposed site. The sketch is blended into a photograph of the copse area of the museum.
rjmuseum.bsky.social
This week, there are only three leaves left on the mulberry tree, and mushroom-spotting seems to be the activity of the day.

We'll be adding some leaves of appreciation to this beautiful old tree on 7th December, 1-3pm. Do join us!
A little mushroom grows out of some dead wood. It's a sunny day, and it looks very majestic! A green(ish) mulberry leaf still clinging on to its branch. Almost all the leaves have fallen, so the people on the other side of the branches can now be seen. The sky is blue on a lovely wintry day.
November 21, 2025 at 10:41 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Heartfelt appreciation ❤️ for the families who have booked spaces our Christmas events on Sunday 14th December. This event is now fully reserved.

As there are scams 🤬 offering to sell tickets to sold out events, no one should be offering to sell unwanted tickets in the comments on our Page.
A little angel made out of a lolly stick, paper doilies, metallic cupcake cases, tinselly pipe cleaners, and markers. Colours in use are gold and purple.
November 19, 2025 at 9:12 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
It's World Kindness Day!

A reminder that our Tree Day event is on 7th December at 1pm, where we feel warm fuzzies about the trees that give our world so much, and give thanks to our wonderful trees. There'll be live music from HUSHWING, and our cafe will be open.

#NationalTreeWeek #TreeParty
The orchard at the Richard Jefferies Museum in June this year. Apples, pears, and plum trees are the main 'crops' here. Wild ox eye daisies grow where they wish, with picnic benches set out for visitors to sit and enjoy a bit of nature.
November 13, 2025 at 10:03 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
"The lover of nature has the highest art in their soul..."
The Open Air

Our first floor 'museum room' has a new (ish) occupant.

#taxidermy #magpie #artefact #birds
A display case containing a taxidermy magpie, with a quote from Richard Jefferies (in the post text) in the background. All our taxidermy is old, most likely rescued from other museums when they have been disposing of their objects.
November 11, 2025 at 4:33 PM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
#MonochromeMonday

And here we have a ladybird, who's come to hang out during Nature Tots.

Ladybirds were everywhere, this summer just gone!

#nature #ladybird #autumn
A ladybird pauses on a leaf sitting on a much-used, much-marked folding table that has seen a lot of action during Nature Tots.
November 10, 2025 at 11:56 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Just sent, our final email newsletter of the year: mailchi.mp/66a22b9a5c41...
Our copse area in the autumn, with a total blanket of leaves covering the ground quite vividly in orange, yellow and brown.
November 8, 2025 at 10:18 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
#FungiFriday #FridayPhoto

A beautiful, delicate fairy inkcap (I'm sure the Internet will let us know if we're wrong) spotted in the museum gardens this week.

www.mushroom-appreciation.com/fairy-inkcap...
A group of three fairy inkcap mushrooms, surrounded by decaying wood and moss.
November 7, 2025 at 11:07 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Lots of motor skills development goes on at Nature Tots, as the little ones use their imaginations to play! (The bigger ones could probably stand to benefit from some outdoor play, too...)

richardjefferiesmuseum.sumupstore.com/product/natu...

#NatureTots #nature #outdoors #OutdoorPlay #FridayPhoto
A collage of four photos, showing toddlers at play in the museum's outdoor-focused stay and play group, Nature Tots. They are using their imaginations, creating stories, and building worlds with a wooden castle, mud kitchen, and painting on a roll of paper taped around a tree trunk.
November 7, 2025 at 10:35 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Ready to launch... 🚀

On this day, Richard Jefferies' 177th birthday, we are launching our fundraiser for our NEXT BIG THING, the Centre for Arts and Wildlife!

www.rjcaw.org

#arts #wildlife #fundraising #Swindon
An artist's sketch of what a new community building / hall could look like on our proposed site. The sketch is blended into a photograph of the copse area of the museum.
November 6, 2025 at 10:24 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Autumn beauties...

We aren't "gonna be golden", we already are! 🥰

(Not that we're jumping on a bandwagon or anything - parents and fans of pop culture, IYKYK.)

#TextureTuesday #autumn
Shrubs with berries for birds, our mulberry going into dormancy for winter, and the holm oak, which never seems to go to sleep! A view of the mulberry tree's yellowing canopy from below, with sunlight peeking through the leaves.
November 4, 2025 at 11:38 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Oh great Internet hive mind... this has turned up while #volunteers have been working on transforming our allotments. We *think* it's to do with horses (this was a farm, after all), and isn't anything as cool as something ancient. But #WhatIsIt, and when might it be from?

#Swindon
One side of a ring, about two inches in diameter. It's rusted, with something caked onto one third of the ring. There are two ridges spaced less than a centimetre apart on the ring. We have no idea what it is, but it was found where the cowshed used to be. One side of a ring, about two inches in diameter. It's rusted, with something caked onto one third of the ring. There are two ridges spaced less than a centimetre apart on the ring. We have no idea what it is, but it was found where the cowshed used to be.
November 3, 2025 at 11:10 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Happy Halloween / Samhain, from all of us at the Richard Jefferies Museum! Enjoy your weekend, whatever you're doing.

#FridayPhoto #FridayFeeling #Halloween #Samhain
Some of the 'cast' who helped at the Richard Jefferies Museum Halloween afternoon - Rosie, in a green cloak, Mike, in top hat and tails (and ghoulish make up), Suzie in Victorian style dress and extra fluffy ears, and Ruth, in a witch costume. Two volunteers in inflated shark costumes dancing with museum director Mike Pringle, who is dressed in a top hat and tail, with ghoulish face paint.
October 31, 2025 at 12:14 PM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
"The mottled geometrical giant spiders find their webs thick with this September dew, which seems as if a little unctuous."
The Life of the Fields

Thanks to Suzie for spotting this friend in our garden yesterday. We hope we haven't given away its super stealthy hunting ground.

#spider #spiderweb
Close-up of a common spider on its web in the museum garden. The web is heavy with dew, perhaps giving passing insects a chance to survive... A spider's web spotted in the museum garden, spun between native plants that inhabit the flower borders in front of the main building.
October 30, 2025 at 9:44 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
#ThickTrunkTuesday

We mark the start of the winter tree planting season with Tree Day, Richard Jefferies Museum's tribute to the trees in our garden.

This totally free family event gathers us to decorate leaves, with our afternoon's soundtrack provided by Izzy and Jack, the duo behind Hushwing.
The copper beech and mulberry tree in the museum garden displaying their glorious autumnal colours of orange-red and yellow - the photo is from November 2024.
October 28, 2025 at 10:04 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
The Museum's famous mulberry tree (even older than Richard Jefferies!) was a hauntingly good place to hang out over the weekend, as families descended on our gardens and cottage...

#MonochromeMonday #Halloween #ghost #decorations #tree #mulberry #photography
A black and white image of a traditional ghost made from a white plastic bag, coloured in with permanent marker. It's ghostly but amusing at the same time, and made by a local Scout troop.
October 27, 2025 at 11:48 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Spotted this week near our railway platform...

#FungiFriday #FridayPhoto #mushrooms
Mushrooms growing out out of the leaf litter in the 'copse' area of the museum. Mushrooms growing out out of the leaf litter in the 'copse' area of the museum. Mushrooms growing out out of the leaf litter in the 'copse' area of the museum.
October 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Our #Halloween event is on Saturday. Please note these are not drop-in sessions; if you haven't managed to get a ticket this year, please don't come as we will have to turn you away. We have a capacity limit for everyone's #safety and enjoyment. Thank you!
A cluster of pumpkins of different colours that have been carved into various spooky lanterns.
October 23, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Richard Jefferies Museum
rspb.bsky.social
Today’s #AutumnArrivalSpotlight is the Goldcrest! ✨

Our tiniest bird takes on an epic journey, with arrivals from northern Europe and Russia joining our resident birds in autumn.

Weighing just 5-6g, it’s incredible to think such a small bird can make it across the sea!
October 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
This is the first time we've made a concerted effort to book #YoungMusicians with an independent streak, and we're pleased to report that we've already been introduced to some new, talented people!
A collage of musicians' photos. They are all disgustingly youthful.
October 22, 2025 at 8:23 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
#toddlers #ToddlerLife #NatureTots
A toddler uses small binoculars to look out of the window in the museum room.
October 21, 2025 at 4:36 PM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Meet Gerald, 'a spider on a string on a stick'.

#SpookySeason #spider #NatureTots #FineMotorSkills
A spider made from colourful pipe cleaners and wool, being held up by a toddler. The spider obscures the child's face.
October 17, 2025 at 9:46 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
Keeping it simple, this was one of our volunteers' favourite #Halloween 'costumes' last year.

#ThrowbackThursday
A child had their hair done up in a small bun, which then had a piece of white tissue tied over it. Some little eyes were drawn on and it became a perfect friendly ghost.
October 16, 2025 at 9:21 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
We're bragging a bit when we say we met Billy and Louie before they went on The Voice. They're a lovely duo, and we're so pleased they've been able to follow their dreams.

#Musician #SupportLocal #LiveMusic
A black and white photo of twin singers Billy and Louie, singing live at the museum a couple of years ago. They have since made it to the finals of The Voice and are local celebrities.
October 15, 2025 at 9:58 AM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
A new friend has joined the tiny hens in the museum cafe - meet Guac (amole, get it?)! It's had a tour of the spaces outside, and is very impressed with the work that's been done so far in the #allotments, where #volunteers have uncovered the old cobbled paths back when the cowshed was in situ.
A miniature amigurumi mole, photographed perched on a mound of soil in the allotments area of the Richard Jefferies Museum. A miniature amigurumi mole, photographed on a patch of grass, looking at a cobbled path.
October 14, 2025 at 4:06 PM
rjmuseum.bsky.social
The Lady of the Museum would like everyone to know that there are no spaces left on our Halloween events. Thank you to all the families who have bought tickets, your support for our little museum means a lot!

#Halloween #family #museum
A green-faced, warty, witch puppet-doll-mannequin type thing that only comes out once a year. Wife to our resident Halloween ghoul.
October 13, 2025 at 8:41 AM