One Chippenham

Lady Chatterley’s Cover: The Book Designs of Stephen Russ
2026-05-28 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-29 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-30 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Chippenham Museum, 9-10 Market Pl, Chippenham, SN15 3HF, United Kingdom
The post-war book designs of artist and teacher, Stephen Russ, are coming to life at Chippenham Museum.
From the forties to the seventies, Russ produced dozens of dust jackets, from striking first editions of Graham Greene at Bodley Head to a wide range of titles at Collins, including nature books and the famous Collins Crime Club.
He is perhaps best known for his work with Penguin, designing covers for the main orange series, the lesser-known music scores, and the highly collectible Penguin Poets series. His phoenix motif for DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover became famous during the 1960 obscenity trial and featured in the marketing that helped make the book a bestseller.
The exhibition also celebrates Russ’s thirty-year career as a tutor at the renowned Bath Academy of Art in Corsham, brought together with the generous support of the Russ family and loans from the Penguin Archive and the University of Bristol.

Town Walk
2026-06-13 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-06-18 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-11 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-16 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-08 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-13 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-22 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-12 14:00 - 15:00 and 1 more date | Chippenham Museum, 9-10 Market Pl, Chippenham, SN15 3HF, United Kingdom
Our free guided walks are back for 2026!
Join a member of the Chippenham Museum team on select Thursdays and Saturdays from May to September for a 40-minute journey through the town’s history, from King Alfred and the Saxons to the present day.
Perfect for residents, visitors and groups! Meet at The Buttercross, Market Place. Arrive 5 to 10 minutes before to allow for a prompt start. Spaces are limited so booking is essential via Eventbrite.
Saturdays at 2pm:
9 May, 13 June, 11 July, 8 August, 22 August & 12 September
Thursdays at 7pm:
14 May, 18 June, 16 July, 13 August & 17 September

Collection Conversations - Natasha Michaels & Carole Pearson
2026-06-13 14:00 - 15:30 | Chippenham Museum, 9-10 Market Pl, Chippenham, SN15 3HF, United Kingdom
In June’s installment, we will be joined by Natasha Michaels and Carole Pearson.
Natasha Michaels studied communication design at Saint Martin’s School of Art and at the Royal College of Art where she specialised in printmaking. Her work explores conventions in classical subjects from art history. Celebrating, and at the same time, subverting these images, Michaels reimagines the sitters as fictional, cartoon-like characters. Through the lens of celebrity and social media she explores historic and contemporary notions of power, identity, status and artifice.
Carole Pearson worked with museum collections before studying at Bath Spa University, first for a BA in ceramics, followed by an MA in fine art. Pearson works mostly on paper but also makes three-dimensional objects. Her selection of materials is low-tech, utilising found and everyday objects. Her thinking reflects her childhood growing up on North Yorkshire farms and her strong connection with the land. She looks for marks in the landscape, focusing on the impressions and traces that objects have left behind.
Left Image: Young Woman with Dog, 2022, Natasha Michaels, photopolymer gravure, Golder-Thompson Gift (image courtesy of Rabley Editions and the artist)
Right Image: Bench II, 2018, Carole Pearson, unique cyanotype © Carole Pearson

REME Museum Extravaganza
2026-06-27 10:00 - 16:30 | REME Museum, Calne Road, MOD Lyneham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 4XX, United Kingdom
Mark your calendars for the REME Museum Extravaganza, in celebration of Armed Forces Day 2026!
This fun-filled open day is a celebration of everything that it means to be part of the REME Family. The event takes place throughout the entire museum grounds, including the galleries, Education Suite, outdoor spaces and gardens and of course Crown’s Café!
Expect even bigger and better things this year, as we combine a Summer Fete with Armed Forces Day, for an exciting day out for all the family with loads to get involved in!
You can expect:-

Summer Fete style games like hook-a-duck, basketball throw, mini golf and more
Inflatable games, including fan favourite axe-throwing
Displays, exhibitions and equipment from REME’s local units including 8 Training Battalion REME and the School of Army Aeronautical Engineering (SAAE) Lyneham
Historic recovery vehicles from the museum’s collection
Stalls from local businesses and charities
REME Charity prize raffle

Please note: Many displays and equipment are provided by active REME units and are subject to operational requirements. As such, there may be changes with minimal notice. We aim to update visitors of any major changes in advance on the REME Museum website.
Crown’s Café will be open to visitors with a ticket to the event, offering a limited lunchtime menu, plus tea, coffee and cake of course! Additional catering vans will also be on-site offering food to purchase throughout the weekend.
Free parking will be available in the museum’s large car park, visitors are asked to please reserve a parking space if you need one in advance. Blue Badge spaces are available on a first-come-first-served basis and you must have reserved a parking space online. If you can, please consider travelling by alternative means.
Dogs are welcome on the museum grounds but are not allowed inside the building, with the exception of assistance dogs.

Yelde Hall Summer Opening
2026-07-11 10:30 - 13:30, 2026-08-08 10:30 - 13:30, 2026-08-22 10:30 - 13:30, 2026-09-12 10:30 - 13:30 | The Yelde Hall
Want to discover more about Chippenham’s history? Visit the Yelde Hall on select dates from May to September, where you can meet characters from the town’s past in the council chamber and pirates from 1709 in the lock-up!
The Yelde Hall is free to enter and will be open from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
Opening dates:
Saturday 9 May
Saturday 11 July
Saturday 8 August
Saturday 22 August
Saturday 12 September
