Visit us at The Hetling Pump Room, 1 Hetling Court BA1  1SH.

 

Exhibitions

Thank you for your participation, we hope to see you again soon. Please continue to support us!

As part of our programme of ReBalance Bath Festival of Wellbeing, Bath Medical Museum collaborated with Designability and researchers at the University of Bath to present a small-scale yet highly significant and enlightening exhibition showcasing the importance of creating supportive environments and aids to promote ‘Wellbeing’ and ‘Wellness’ for everyone.

Thank you for your participation, we hope to see you again soon. Please continue to support us!

Over the Easter Holidays, Bath Medical Museum will be asking Bathonians to remember the disaster of 1088 when the city was burnt to the ground, rather than focusing on 1066. It was during this time that two of Bath’s most influential heroes began their work.

All families are invited to join in with a series of FREE Easter Holiday activities at Bath Medical Museum in The Hetling Pump Room, just opposite Bath Thermae Spa and very close to the Cross Bath in Hetling Court. The museum will be open every day from 12pm to 4pm from Saturday, March 30th to Sunday, April 7th.

The activities will include an exhibition which deals with ‘Medicine in Bath during Norman Times’, and the life and work of the scholar Adelard of Bath and Bishop John of Tours.

There will be a chance to see Adelard’s ‘green cloak’ and to use an astrolabe and abacus which he brought back to Bath from his 7-year scientific fact-finding trip to the Middle East.

In addition, there will be games Norman children played, and a chance to discover what plants were grown in the monastery garden and used to keep Bath people well. There will also be a trail suitable for all that will take families around streets that Adelard would have walked when he was a child.

There’s also a chance to find out why Bath was burnt to the ground in 1088 and how Bishop John set about rebuilding the city, which included one of the biggest cathedrals England had ever seen. He also founded the beginnings of a university, an infirmary, and made it one of the healthiest places in England.

If you have some free time we are looking for volunteer room stewards. Trainings will be given. Please get back to us if you are willing to help us in this way.

Events

Tuesday 19th March 2024 2pm – 3pm:

The next short talk in our series featuring cutting edge ‘medical’ research will be ‘Exploring the Future: How Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Technology Enhances Our Life’. It will be given by Zhichun Fu from The Electronic & Electrical Engineering department.

“My research is about decoding hand movement intention from brain signals. BCI enables people to convey their intentions directly to computers, facilitating interaction with technology without the need for physical movements. It has significant implications for the future, potentially aiding individuals with disabilities in regaining motor control or enhancing the efficiency of human-computer interactions.”

This fascinating short talk is free and is open to everyone. The audience will have time to ask questions and also have the opportunity to give feedback to help with improving presentation skills. Please come along and support our local 3rd year PhD student.

To make a reservation or read the full programme, click here.

In conjunction with the University of Bath, on Thursday April 11th 2pm to 4pm:

Gardening for Wellbeing, to be held at the Hetling Pump Room. Free entry for all. Due to very limited availability, please make a reservation in advance.

A date for you diary on Sunday, April 21st:

World Heritage Day at The Guildhall, from 10am to 4pm. BMM will be staffing a stand with fun activities for families. Adelard ‘will be present’ too! Free entry for all.

Walking Trails


>> (NEW) Three original Bath Medical Trails by BMM are now available! Download BMM Bath Medical Trail.

>> Try this Biscuit Oliver Trail designed by Bath Medical Museum below, that visits key locations associated with the life and work of Dr William Oliver FRS.

Biscuit Oliver Trail (front)
Biscuit Oliver Trail (back)

After three years of closure BMM re-opens in new premises, at 1 Hetling Court

After nearly three years of closure Bath Medical Museum the city’s smallest museum with some of its oldest exhibits re-opened with a mini festival over the October 2023 school half term. It had organised a shop window trail, walks to the Grand Pump Room, and in its new HQ at Hetling Court it displayed an exhibition of Wellbeing featuring the History of the Spa Waters as well as examples of ‘Wellbeing Activities from Round The World. In addition, making use of its website presence inaugurated its latest ‘virtual’ creation of The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases as it was when it first opened in 1742 with Dr Oliver presiding as its first doctor.

Nearly 700 visitors enjoyed the exhibition. All those who completed evaluation questionnaires gave 100% thumbs up to the museum and 95% gave the exhibition either 10 out of 10 for even better VERY good! All this despite the fact that the museum was cut off by roadworks. Fortunately it is now getting back to normal with the security barriers finally installed.

Some exhibits installed at the re-opening can be seen below.

Patients being treated in the early twentieth century

A historic print of The Old Swimming Baths
A cartoon lampooning visitors

The museum is staffed entirely by a team of volunteers. Cheryl spoke on behalf of them all:-

“We were really pleased with how the exhibition went and the way in which visitors were so interested and grateful for all the information and intriguing exhibits.”

The museum plans to continue with regular school holiday exhibits and activities.

The remains of The Melfort Cross which used to adorn The Cross Bath

An origami box made by a visitor during a Wellbeing activity

A two-thousand-year-old relaxation activity which is a UNESCO Intangible, Cultural, Heritage of Humanity, Jian Zhi (paper cutting)

Tibetan aid towards Wellbeing called Tingsha

A mirror with blessing to help the owner avoid Covid 

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