How a Banburyshire village's work has changed, from the Industrial Revolution to the present

A rural museum will be giving a fascinating insight into what workers did to earn their crust in Bloxham and how industry has changed over the years.

From weavers beavering away in their cottages to men hacking away at the ironstone around the village, then into a factory making high quality carpets and finally to highly-skilled craftsmen handcrafting the most elite of cars - there has been no shortage of industry in Bloxham.

This year’s special exhibition at Bloxham Museum will be telling the stories of those early and not so early workers, caught up in the industrial revolution.

Go along and and learn about Bloxham’s part in manufacturing plush - a highly sought-after material in Victorian days for use in everything from upholstery to royal livery. Also learn how the landscape has been changed in places by the need for iron; how Steeles Carpets put Bloxham on the map as a producer of quality products (with examples of their carpets) and how Jaguar and Aston Martin chose a nearby location for the production of their most prestigious cars. Who would have known that a small place like Bloxham could be known for manufacturing everything from a fine material worn by the servants of monarchs, to fast cars with a few high quality carpets thrown in for good measure?

The stories behind the headline can be seen in this year’s exhibition, as well as the landscape-changing effects of the search for iron. The exhibition will be open every Saturday and Sunday 2.30pm - 5pm until the end of October.