The brand-new Wessex Gallery

By Emma Kirkup
 
Set within Salisbury Museum, the Wessex Gallery is a brand-new exhibition space showcasing some of the archaeological finds from the south Wiltshire area including Stonehenge.

The gallery only opened on the 12 July and it’s pleasing to hear that so many people have visited it already. I was amazed by how different the space looked from the museum I visited many a time as a small child.

 As you enter the gallery you start in Norman times, towards the end of the time at Old Sarum (the original site of Salisbury). You then journey back through the eras back to the times of Stonehenge and even before.

At each stage there is detailed information on the era and the importance that it played on the local landscape. Finds are clearly displayed and easy to understand. There are lots of different types of artefacts on display including intricate items of jewellery, sculpture, pottery, bones, weapons and lots more.

For children there are drawers that they can pull open where they can handle or learn about some of the items, the interactive touch table and cupboards that you can peak behind. When I visited there were several families making use of these and the children looked like they were really interested in what they were learning.

There are a couple of skeletons on display including the famous Amesbury Archer, who is laid out in the position he was found in with some of the objects that lay beside him.

The section on Stonehenge includes items found from in and around the site as well as a clever projector which allows you to sit back and watch the sunrise and sunset. It’s a perfect complement to the recently opened visitor centre at Stonehenge and you’ll be able to put the landscape and history into even more context.