The Museum is reopening on Easter Weekend, 20th April 2025 with a new exhibition.
We need your help! - The exhibition for this year in the Hendred Museum is WW2.
Do you have any memorabilia or family memories of what it was
like living in the village of East Hendred during that time?
Were members of your family in the Home Guard?
Do you have any photographs of the uniform they wore?
Do you have memories about RAF Harwell and the runway which was in part of this parish.
What was school like at that time with the evacuees sharing the classrooms?
We have information about the brave men who went to war and those who never returned, but it is the personal memories that we would love to hear about.
We are really interested in knowing how people managed in this village over the war years, how neighbours looked out for each other and gave support when it was needed the most.
Please do get involved and help us make this exhibition one to remember.
Please email hendredheritagesecretary@gmail.com​​​
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East Hendred Heritage Trust grew out of a Museum/Heritage organisation started by the Hendred's Society when they held very successful local exhibitions of Hendred's Heritage in the late 60's and 70's.
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The Eyston family had refurbished the near derelict chapel of Jesus of Bethlehem (then known as Champs Chapel) in 1974 enabling a more permanent collection of village memorabilia to be started and continued for some years by the Parish Council. This was done very much under the auspices of the late Olga Ashthorpe one of the then Parish Councillors and at that time also Clerk to the Council.
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In the mid 90's the Parish Council could no longer justify the regular financial commitment required and relinquished the lease on the Chapel.
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A group of village people took on the responsibility of Trusteeship. Short-term leases from the Hendred Estate have been obtained.
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The East Hendred Heritage Trust was registered as a charity and a company limited by guarantee in 2002. The Trust obtains funds by various fund raising events, as well as from individuals and organisations. As an accredited museum and Charity some concessions are available to reduce the overheads and to help provide essential museum services.
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The Chapel remains open to the public without having to resort to entrance fees though Gift Aid donations are welcomed to help keep the museum active. Trustees have recently been able to arrange for a permanent base as well as archival storage in Snells Hall.
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The operating committee consists of the Trustees together with other regular helpers who service museum needs. All are volunteers giving of their spare time whenever possible. This basic advice comes via the Oxfordshire Museum Service. SEMLAC (South East Museum Libraries and Archives Council) provides additional expert advice to maintain the professional standard of an accredited museum.
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Officers: Chair: Susan Roberts; Treasurer: James Carpenter; Secretary: Diana Wheeker.
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Trustees: M. Bambridge, M. Fretter, P. Kilgarriff, S. Roberts, H. Dinsdale, D. Wheeker, J. Wansell, D. Rolfe, R. Hine, P. Ray, J Carpenter
Regular helpers maintain stewarding duties and provide specific operating talents for the back up operations of the museum.
East Hendred Heritage Trust is a Registered Charity No 1094909. Hendred Museum is an accredited Museum RD 1824. The Trust is a Company Limited by Guarantee No 4523016
Registered Office: The Old Post Office, High St, East Hendred, Oxfordshire, OX12 8JY.
The Directors are the Trustees.