iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Erin Dwyer aka Ginger Is A Construct @erindwyer.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Watching series 13 of #Taskmaster with the 9yo and I was, of course, terribly curious about the historical site where they filmed the locations that season, now I really want to visit the @chilternoam.bsky.social en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilter...

en.wikipedia.org

Chiltern Open Air Museum - Wikipedia

262

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

50 Years of COAM – 1982 Rossway Granary was fully erected on site, Garston Forge was dismantled and the Friends of the Museum was founded. We were thrilled to rescue a traditional Victorian forge, though moving its original cast-iron tyre ring was no small task at nearly half a ton!

010

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

50 Years of COAM – 1981 After more than 5 years of hard work, COAM opened to the public on 3rd May 1981. Back then, the car park was just a field, the Ticket Office operated from a caravan, and only 4 buildings stood on site with a 5th still being rebuilt! But this was only the beginning ...

000

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

50 Years of COAM – 1980 St. Albans Abbey Barn, also known as St. Julians, arrived at COAM. Dismantled in 1962, it spent many years in storage before finding a home with us. This medieval barn was built between 1390 and 1400. Find out more www.coam.org.uk/blogs/buildi...

041

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

50 Years of COAM – 1979 We re-erected our building. Wing Granary arrived in 1978, almost in one piece. Volunteers worked diligently over the winter of 1978-1979 to reinstate the roof structure and slates. We also started re-erecting Rossway Granary and Didcot Cart Shed

030

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

50 Years of COAM – 1978 5 buildings dismantled for preservation. 4 of these - High Wycombe Toll House, Wing Granary, a High Wycombe Furniture Factory, and Didcot Cart Shed - have since been re-erected on site. 177–179 High Street, Watford remains stored, awaiting reconstruction.

032

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

50 Years of COAM – 1977 In 1977, volunteers dismantled 3 more historic buildings, but one of them is still waiting to be re-erected. No. 7 West Street, Dunstable, was rescued as it faced demolition for a new supermarket. Find out more on our blog www.coam.org.uk/blogs/buildi...

021

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Spotted at COAM, this fungus called the Common Bird's Nest. It looks like tiny cups (4-10mm) filled with white, egg-like spore packets. Using the power of raindrops to fling spore sacks into the air, it wraps a short cord around any twig it connects with and waits for the right conditions to spore.

0101

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

50 Years of COAM In 1976, we dismantled our first buildings: Hill Farm Barn and Rossway Granary. Today, they stand at the heart of our farm, forming the centre of our farming operations and capturing the spirit of a classic Chilterns farmstead that could have flourished anytime between 1800 & 1950

1134

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

This weekend at the Museum we'll be baking, bodging and rope making. On Saturday we’ll be making loaves traditionally and multi- skilled craftsman, Alan will also be showing visitors his rope making skills. On Sunday see chair making demonstrations. Find out more >> www.coam.org.uk/events

A man and woman needing dough in a cottage.

021

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

Work is continuing on site to reconstruct our 1950s bandstand. This is a view of the roof struts. Cedar shingles will be going on soon, so these wont be visible for much longer.

072

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

Our beautiful roses outside of Astleham cottage are in bloom. #flowers #roses #garden

Pink roses in bloom outside a brick cottage with red window frames.

0111

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant we now have x2 paid 30hr/week traineeship opportunities. Collections and Interpretation NLHF Trainee Marketing and Visitor Experience NLHF Trainee We're also recruiting an Evaluation Consultant. Find out more www.coam.org.uk/joinus/careers #job

A thatched cottage with orange flowers in the garden.

041

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

We're now on Bloomberg Connects - the arts & culture app. Discover more about our historic buildings, traditional gardens and heritage farm in this digital guide. Have all the Museum information at your fingertips! Download it at www.bloombergconnects.org

A mobile phone screen showing Chiltern Open Air Museum on the Bloomberg Connects App.

021

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

We love these knitted knight hats in our museum shop. What’s your favourite museum purchase? #museumshop #museum

A knitted knight helmet on a display head.

142

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Bright and sunny daffodils in our Leagrave cottage garden. #daffodil #Spring

A tree with lots of daffodils at its base

060

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Our scarecrow family are back in our Dig for Victory allotment. #1940s #chilternoam #scarecrow

A mother and daughter scarecrow in 1940s clothes

A father and son scarecrow in 1940s clothes

041

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Museum + Heritage Awards in the Visitor Accessibility Award! The global awards celebrate the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions, so we're really excited to have made the shortlist.

091

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Have you entered our photo competition yet? Your images of our Museum could be gracing the walls of one of our historic buildings this spring. Find out more at www.coam.org.uk/blogs/coam-p...

031

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Hedgelaying is a traditional technique for creating a living fence by partially cutting and bending the stems of shrubs or small trees. The goal is to encourage new growth from the base of the stems. It's only carried out between October and March when trees and shrubs are dormant.

0142

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

This week our Estate Manager joined the talented COAM Costume team for a fitting of the wonderful smock they've been creating. These fabulous volunteers have been working on the smock since September and Rachael was thrilled to try it on. Find out more www.coam.org.uk/blogs/costum...

0101

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

An unusual view of our Iron Age roundhouse captured by our Warden earlier today. The fire in the roundhouse helps to dry the thatch and prevent infestations. It doesn't have a chimney or visible hole for the smoke to escape, so always looks quite magical when it billows through the roof.

Iron Age roundhouse with smoke coming through the roof

1194

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

This week's Object of the Week is a Daily Mail Year Book 1948. Located in the lounge of Amersham Prefab, you can find a 1948 edition of the Daily Mail Yearbook. It contained a selection of news headlines, to provide a summary of the year for its readers. #artefact #museum

051

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Our new chickens seem to be having a competition to see who can lay the biggest egg. One of the girls is clearly winning! #chickens #eggs

A line of eggs increasing in size on a bed of hay.

081

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

St Albans Museums @stalbansmuseums.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

We're looking to commission 6 artists (with lived experience) to create works for a St Albans Museums' Black History Research Group (BHRG) zine. Submissions by 28 Feb 2025.

stalbansmuseums.org.uk

Artist Call Out!

5122

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust @bbowt.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Despite a difficult year, our 2024 survey results revealed encouraging wildlife highlights: 🍄 New UK fungi species recorded 🌷 19,143 orchids at Aston Clinton Ragpits 🐦 Dartford warblers increased at Snelsmore Common Read a full account here: buff.ly/423GCc4 📷 Phil Townsend

076

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 15/01/2025

We've seen your #WindowsOnWednesday posts and raise you these windows from our own collection.

An image of brickwork and windows at Oxburgh Hall, Oxford. Three windows of different shapes are set into a red-brick wall.

A stained glass window at a church at Great Chalfield Manner. The stained glass shows a country landscape with a river in the foreground and fields with trees in the background.

Windows on the West front of Newton House Garden at Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire. The windows shine in the background while a red flower is out of focus in the foreground.

Stained glass window depicting Queen Elizabeth I, Melford Hall, Suffolk. Elizabeth is featured in red and gold with an elaborate crown and crown jewels.

41058

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Our talented costume team have been working on a smock for our Estate Manager. The design is early Victorian although smocks had been worn by agricultural workers for centuries. Find our about the history and design of smocks on our blog www.coam.org.uk/blogs/creati... #historiccostume #history

053

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

We're celebrating #HeritageTreasures! Chair-making is part of the heritage of the Chilterns, our High Wycombe Furniture Factory was home to Elliott & Sons, holders of the National Scheme for Employment of Disabled Men Certificate. www.coam.org.uk/buildings/hi... @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

A reconstructed furniture factory from High Wycombe. It is L shaped with two floors painted green.

042

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Buckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Recently we received a new donation of a scrapbook once belonging to Mr Walter Keep. This is a fantastic record of his experiences in the First World War, and we'll be sharing some highlights on our pages! He kept a great record of his service and has filled the scrapbook with lots of annotations.

The front cover of Walter Keep's scrapbook, showing a man pasting up the word 'scraps' over a fence.

2828

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust @bbowt.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

🔔 We're hiring 🔔 The (RBOR) Nature and Greenspaces Officer will help nature recover by working with stakeholders on the development of a series of projects that take action to improve outcomes for wildlife. To find out more and apply: buff.ly/3DFFlh9

047

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Heritage Crafts @heritage-crafts.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Heritage Crafts and @theroyalmintuk.bsky.social have launched four new training bursaries for new and early-career precious metal workers who will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding as well as one-to-one support from Heritage Crafts. Deadline 7 March. www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/our-stories/...

086

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

We may be closed for the winter but work continues, maintaining and improving the site ready for re-opening in spring. This week our volunteers have been installing a new ramp for Thame Vicarage Room, making it accessible to more visitors in the new season.

Four men working on a ramp outside Thame vicarage.

041

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

The wildlife that live on the Museum site have been exploring in the dusting of snow. In front of the tollhouse we saw prints from badgers, deer and a heron. What prints have you found during these wintery days? #snow #pawprints

071

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

An embroidered sampler, dated 1853 in its original frame, can be found hung on the wall of our Haddenham Cottage. It shows a number of embroidered images, including flowers, shrubs, birds and butterflies. It also shows the alphabet in capitals and numbers up to 50. #museumobject #embroidery

A piece of embroidery in a frame on a wall.

0101

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

This week's Object of the Week is a George VI Card. It’s a printed card, with the royal coat of arms on the front and a message from King George VI. This was issued to all school children after the end of WW2, to thank them for everything that they had endured and to encourage them for the future.

A George VI card in a frame on a wooden unit.

040

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Royal Air Force Museum @rafmuseum.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

🎄This festive season, as families gather, share your RAF Story! 🥳 Download the RAF Stories app, record and send us your memories of love, bravery, and friendship. 💖💪🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Join stories like Peter Taylor’s WWII journey and help us preserve the RAF's legacy. Start today! #RAFStories 👉 bit.ly/3BQcHt6

bit.ly

RAF Site - Squeaky officer

Squeaky officer by Peter Taylor on RAF Stories | What's your story?

081

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

This week's object of the week are lace bobbins. In Haddenham cottage, we have an assortment of wooden, lace bobbins. Making wooden bobbins was a delicate craft, which was popular in Victorian textile mills. Now, machine sewing uses bobbins made of plastic or metal cylinders. #lacemaking

0111

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

This fabulous coal duty post topper was made by one of our volunteers for our Festive Weekend event this weekend. #Volunteers #ChristmasEvent #Museum

181

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

This weekend we’re opening for a special Festive Weekend. Come and see our buildings decorated for Christmas, listen to local choirs, meet Tudor re-enactors, shop at local stalls, take part in crafts, ride a pony, meet Father Christmas and more Find out more www.coam.org.uk/events/festi... #events

A lady leading a pony being ridden by a child

Holly on a windowsill alongside a candle in a silver holder

072

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

This #GivingTuesday we’re asking you to support us. With costs rising and a lot of rain this year (not good for an outdoor museum) generating enough income has become more challenging. Please support us by sending us a gift from our list or by making a donation. www.coam.org.uk/coam-wish-list

coam.org.uk

Charity Wish List — Chiltern Open Air Museum

As the season of giving approaches, we’re asking our community to dig deep to support us. This year we are asking our community to purchase an item or two from our charity wish list.

033

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Paralympic Heritage @paraheritage.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

⏳ 4 days to go! 🏅 Join us on Friday to hear from wheelchair racer Nathan Maguire. 🌟 📅 2 sessions to choose from! 🎟 Hurry! Bookings close Wednesday at 5pm. Secure your FREE ticket today and don't miss out! 👇 www.paralympicheritage.org.uk/Pages/Events... #MeetTheParalympian #Inspiration

An image of Nathan Maguire on the track racing in his wheelchair. He is pointed towards the camera. He is wearing his GB black lycra kit, a black helmet with two red stripes, and metallic goggles which reflect the track. The sun is shining and casts a shadow onto the track.

032

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Buckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Over the past year we've had a great team of researchers investigating our Victorian records for traces of Buckinghamshire's LGBTQ+ past, and now we're looking to create some art to bring their stories to life! Interested in volunteering? Apply at the link below. forms.gle/YgsRqKarCLMe...

A poster for the 'Lost Victorian Voices' project from Buckinghamshire Archives.

0166

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Come to our Festive Weekend event this weekend.

000

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Our blacksmith has made this fantastic sign for our Victorian forge from Garston. #blacksmith #traditionalcrafts #museum

A black metal bracket on a brick wall with a black sign in the shape of an anvil that says Garston Forge on it.

051

Chiltern Open Air Museum @chilternoam.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

It’s #MuseumShopSunday a day we shout out about all our museum shops and remind everyone that when you shop at a cultural venue or heritage site, you’re contributing to its future, as well as supporting the local suppliers and makers that create some of the products you’ll find there.

A dresser filled with glass bottles of apple juice, gin and local beer.

051

Reposted by Chiltern Open Air Museum

Past-Times Living History @past-times-lh.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

A precursor to our Advent beginning tomorrow, let’s start with #SANTACLAUS Or Saint Nicholas a rich bishop from Myra (now in Turkey) in the 4th Century! Meet our #Santa @chilternoam.bsky.social 7th & 8th Dec! Tune into PTLH TV for some fun fascinating #Christmas facts: youtube.com/playlist?lis...

021