We are an independent museum and a registered charity. The museum is run by a small team of enthusiastic volunteers who work together to record the town’s history and its people. We receive no government funding and rely on funds from various organisations, donations and the generosity of our visitors to fund our projects.
Transformation and Godmanchester Museum News 2020
Godmanchester Museum's new name brings it in line to reflect the town the museum serves in readiness for the planned Transformation of the Church of St Mary the Virgin. The old Porch Museum name has been changed to Godmanchester in order to more straightforwardly represent the town and now the museum is organising future collections, display boards and events.
All of this is in preparation for the eventual incorporation of the museum into the church of St Mary during its Transformation and modernisation. The future planned move into the church - a museum within a church is a great rarity in the UK - will enable the museum to open more frequently, making it available to schools and people in the town.
There is a startling collection of Roman and Iron Age artefacts and extensive display boards consistent with the explanation of Godmanchester as a Roman Town and old pictures from private archives, family history boards, fascinating school photographs and displays devoted to WW1 and WW11.
One of the Museums aims is to produce and show short films devoted to the history of the town. We want to capture, through the memories of some of the oldest members of our community, as clear a perception as we can get of the way life was in this lovely town during the first half of the 20th century.
Wonderful Roman treasures photographed from the private collections of Godmanchester people, and films about Roman Godmanchester will be shown for the first time by the Porch Museum next year, celebrating the town’s history as part of its programme for the 800th anniversary of Godmanchester’s Charter . Roman Godmanchester was a thriving military and market town. Now you can see, for the first time a wealth of Roman artefacts left for us by soldiers and civilians two thousand years ago.
There will be rare enamelled jewellery, luxury Samian ware imported from France and Germany and dishes, pitchers and drinking cups, some manufactured in Godmanchester’s own kilns. Particularly lovely are the Venus figurines and a horse which symbolises the horse god Epona, placed in a little girl’s burial to protect her on the journey to the after life. Godmanchester gardeners will be charmed by the little bronze horse’s head probably used to decorate Roman hanging baskets.
Five distinguished archaeologists are donating their precious time to verifying the objects for a catalogue, and through the artefacts, will explaining on film about Roman Godmanchester’s daily life.
There will be a "TREASURES CLINIC" at The Porch Museum on Sunday 26th August 2012 3-5pm, where archaeologist, author and broadcaster Professor Stephen Upex will try to identify those mystery things you've got at home - Roman, Medieval, Iron Age, Neolithic, Anglo Saxon, Elizabethan and much later – so bring them along. We will give away 15 Roman coins to 15 lucky children on a first come basis.
We will be showing two special films the museum has produced.
'Children of Godmanchester' .
Inspired by an old Pathe Pictorial film, shot in West Street
Godmanchester in February 1934, we turned detective and found either the children who were shown on that film, or their families. All are interviewed on the film, accompanied by a young local composer's arrangement of music based on Gracie Fields songs - she was a hit here in the 30s and interviewed in the Hunts Post at the time the Pathe film was shot.
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We will be having an Autumn Fund Rasing Party on the 8th November
"The Romans Over Here, Over Sexed and Overpaid"
From Godmanchester's favourite archaeologist Professor Stephen Upex a talk on Roman Army life in the barracks at St Ann's Lane from AD 43, the great villa complex at Rectory Farm and why Godmanchester is the pre-eminent Roman town in the province.
Godmanchester's Roman Treasures.
We will be also be seeing some of Roman Godmanchester's treasures, about which Professor Stephen Upex will talk, telling us where they came from (in some cases imported from abroad), how they got here and the kind of person who would have owned them.
During the interval between the talk and the treasures, delicious food and wine will be served. Michael Jacobsen well known Godmanchester musician will treat us to vintage popular music.
Doors Open 7.45pm for 8.00pm.
Tickets are £10 each from Kate 01480 454154 or Mick 01480 390599 or Shirley 01480 454196.
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