On this page: Information for people visiting the Museum dedicated to the acclaimed Victorian author from Swindon, Richard Jefferies.
About the Richard Jefferies Museum
The Richard Jefferies Museum is housed in the farmhouse at Coate, where Richard Jefferies was born in 1848. Situated within the lovely surroundings of Coate Water, the Museum features some of the memento's of Richard Jefferies (1848 -1887), one of England's most individual writers on nature and the countryside.
Richard's early years were spent wandering around the farmlands, exploring the nearby streams that fed the canals and swimming in the reservoir - now called Coate Water - about five minutes' walk from the Museum. His early life is recorded in a series of novels, including 'Bevis - The Story of a Boy'.
His passion for nature - he was a keen naturalist - and recollection of a way of country life seen through the eyes of a growing boy and now sadly gone, are recalled in his almost ecstatic, dream-like prose.
The Museum includes first editions of many of Richard Jefferies writings, the manuscript of 'Wood Magic' and family photographs and memorabilia. Parts of the building have been restored to create the atmosphere of a mid to late 19th Century farmhouse with a cheese room.
Opening Times
The Richard Jefferies Museum is open:
Admission
Admission to the museum is free.
Further Information
Websites
Further information can be obtained from the following websites:
Disabled/Special Needs Access
The museum is not accessible for wheelchair users.
Contact
How to Find Us
Richard Jefferies House and Museum
Marlborough Road
Coate
Swindon
SN3 6AA
Parking and Directions
Park at Coate Water car park and then walk to the model railway and go through the fence/gap on the left, onto a path. Walk up the path and turn left onto a country road. Turn left again on the main road and the Museum is on your left, opposite the garage. From the car park it is a very gentle 10 minutes walk.
Alternatively, the Sun Inn have granted permission for visitors to park there when they visit the Museum.
There is some parking at the Museum for people with mobility challenges, but this is very limited.
Writers Groups
If you aspire to be a writer it may be useful to join a group of like-minded people who can offer advice and support. These independently-run groups meet regularly in Swindon.
Footsteps Writers Group
This group meets at the Richard Jefferies House and Museum on the second Wednesday of the month - 10.30am-3.30pm.
Contact
Writers' Cafe
Contemplate and create; read and write, or simply experience sharing good practice.
This group meets at Lower Shaw Farm on the last Thursday of each month - 6.00pm-10.00pm.
Contact