One day, one day... all reasonably substantial offers of financial support considered.

I absolutely love the church of Minster, Boscastle in north Cornwall. A beautiful walk through woodland from Boscastle. Hidden, wild & an SSSI. I would love to do @vch-home.bsky.social research here, but the county project is sadly presently suspended. 😖

Blackberries out already! 🫢

The latest preview of work towards the first of what we call a 'Topographical' #BigRedBook for the county of Herefordshire. #Skystorians #LocalHistory #Ledbury

Long before England had World Cup fever, Wiltshire had stobball fever. Admittedly it was extremely localised & everything we know comes from John Aubrey… www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

In the early 18th century, a strange chain of events made a farmer's wife from Dymock in Glos the lord of the manor of Ledbury, Heref. From my current research for @vch-home.bsky.social Heref not yet completed but decided to write up anyway. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/anne-dr...

A beast, a mathematician- rector with an obsession with the occult & a giant maggot. The mystery carved over a Wiltshire church door. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/lancelo...

Barberry bushes planted by nuns at St Mary’s priory, Kington St Michael, Wilts before the Reformation & observed by John Aubrey in the c17 are still growing in the hedges today. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

Struggling writing highly detailed @vch-home.bsky.social text in the heat. My brain can’t comprehend that a John Skynner and a John Skypp were two separate men living at the same time and I keep muddling them 😖

Really pleased to finally lay hands on this marvellous volume from @wiltshistory.bsky.social - huge thanks to @johnhchandler.bsky.social, @lrylandepton.bsky.social and others as well as the staff of @heritagewshc.bsky.social for all their hard work and help! 🗃️

We have finally braved the heat and retrieved our copy of our latest #BigRedBook! Wiltshire vol. 20, Chippenham and Environs will soon be available from @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social and a copy is already available @ihrlibrary.bsky.social. #Skystorians

It’s been an amazing week the @vch-home.bsky.social volume I have worked on since 2018 is in my hands, the exhibition @chippenhammuseum.bsky.social I curated with @anecdotalksb.bsky.social has launched, I’ve recorded a women’s history podcast & shot a video with @paulwhitewick.bsky.social! 😁

OMG look at what has just been delivered @wiltshistory.bsky.social & @vch-home.bsky.social 🥳

So proud to have been on the team that produced 👇. It is a great exhibition even if I say so myself. 😁

So proud to have been on the team that produced 👇. It is a great exhibition even if I say so myself. 😁

On the high limestone plateau above the village of Colerne in Wiltshire, something remarkable used to happen. Thankfully John Aubrey recorded it before it passed out of memory. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

Thanks for taking part in today's #OnlineArtExchange 🥅 Next week's theme is 'discovery' for Wiltshire and the World: John Aubrey and the Quest for Knowledge at Chippenham Museum#OnlineArtExchange 'Football Crowd' by Darren Baker (b.1976) © the artist. 📷 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

This is a great read

In the 1680s a man in landlocked Wiltshire looked at a stone shaped like a shell and concluded the Bible’s account of creation didn’t work. He was John Aubrey. His extraordinary life & work is explored in a new exhibition at @chippenhammuseum.bsky.social www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

A medieval beast, a mathematician- rector & a giant maggot 🐛that ate nuts. The mystery carved over a Wiltshire church door. And maybe a connection to John Aubrey too. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/lancelo...

A medieval beast, a mathematician- rector & a giant maggot 🐛that ate nuts. The mystery carved over a Wiltshire church door. And maybe a connection to John Aubrey too. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/lancelo...

To mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of natural philosopher John Aubrey FRS, and accompanying exhibition at Chippenham Museum, guest blogger Louise Ryland-Epton explores the radical ideas contained in his long-unpublished 'Natural History of Wiltshire'. Read more: https://bit.ly/43Tti9U

Delighted that my blog on John Aubrey has been published by @royalsociety.org exploring the science of this early Fellow. An exhibition opens on Saturday @chippenhammuseum.bsky.social with items from the Society’s collection. royalsociety.org/blog/2026/06...

Delighted to be talking about #JohnAubrey so near his birthplace this Saturday in his 400th anniversary year. 😁 On the menu 🐉🐚👻🌍🌱💍🧙‍♀️🌩️

Delighted to be talking about #JohnAubrey so near his birthplace this Saturday in his 400th anniversary year. 😁 On the menu 🐉🐚👻🌍🌱💍🧙‍♀️🌩️

At Mordeford, Heref. someone called Gerson apparently dispatched an 8-winged serpent-shaped dragon during the reign of Mary I. John Aubrey thought it a fable, not as dragons were impossible in principle, but cos this dragon violated basic physical laws. #FolkloreThursday From Aubrey’s Nat Hist.

John Aubrey looked at Salisbury Plain in the 1680s & thought of Virginia. Was the Plain’s openness not ancient & natural, but made by human intervention like the savannas of the Americas? New blog! www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

John Aubrey suspected elm trees weren’t native to England & travelled to Durham to prove it. He was right. My new blog on Aubrey’s Natural History explores his thoughts & love of trees. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

Join us 6th June, 2pm when Dr Louise Ryland-Epton @lrylandepton.bsky.social takes us on a journey through the amazing world of Wiltshire-born scientist, writer & antiquarian John Aubrey. 👉Reserve your place by email - [email protected] 🎟️Tickets £10, payable on the day. #science #history

John Aubrey suspected elm trees weren’t native to England & travelled to Durham to prove it. He was right. My new blog on Aubrey’s Natural History explores his thoughts & love of trees. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

It's all systems go for this Friday – and we now have a new speaker, @megalithic.bsky.social – join us along with @paulwhitewick.bsky.social and @lrylandepton.bsky.social. Grab a ticket while you still can!

I am so proud to have co-curated this exhibition for @chippenhammuseum.bsky.social with the incredible @anecdotalksb.bsky.social Discover John Aubrey as you’ve never seen him before!!

As part of our celebrations for the publication of @wiltshistory.bsky.social Vol 20 we worked with partners to create the Chippenham Our History festival. This 👇 was the first activity and it was fantastic. www.wiltshirehistory.org/news/chippen...

My local farm shop sells flower bouquets created using village garden flowers. They are stunning. That is alongside all the farm produced eggs, veg, plants, honey and more (inc meat, but I’m a vegan). They have a tiny cafe too. It is Bisley Farm Shop in Glos.

Just going home from VCH Day! So good to hear what other trusts are getting up to and some big plans coming up from @vch-home.bsky.social. I had a fab time. Thanks to @cathamclarke.bsky.social @adamchapman.bsky.social @graffitiginger.bsky.social @ruthslatter.bsky.social

Excited to explore John Aubrey’s C17 perspective on the relationship of man & place 👇 next week. In Aubrey’s view place (its soil, air, water, geography etc) impacted human character, health, longevity & more. Human activity in a place could have a detrimental impact on human wellbeing.

Excited to explore John Aubrey’s C17 perspective on the relationship of man & place 👇 next week. In Aubrey’s view place (its soil, air, water, geography etc) impacted human character, health, longevity & more. Human activity in a place could have a detrimental impact on human wellbeing.

Good morning from Gloucestershire.

Just two weeks to go! Get your tickets now for an evening spent in deep time. Speakers include @paulwhitewick.bsky.social and @lrylandepton.bsky.social 🙂

John Aubrey once looked at a giant's bones and said: 'why might they not be elephants' bones?' But then he kept collecting evidence and things got complicated. My new blog on Aubrey's Natural History 🦣🦷 www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

John Aubrey once looked at a giant's bones and said: 'why might they not be elephants' bones?' But then he kept collecting evidence and things got complicated. My new blog on Aubrey's Natural History 🦣🦷 www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

I am also looking to try and do some more in person talks and podcasts. If anyone knows any groups that might like some local history or folklore, or podcasts that might please let me know ✨️

Gloucestershire, today.

Anne Bodenham could transform into a cat, a lion, a dog, or a bear. She was hanged at Salisbury in 1653. But John Aubrey wasn't sure the trial was sound. Part 8 of my series on Aubrey's Natural History — witchcraft, evidence, and an open verdict. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

Anne Bodenham could transform into a cat, a lion, a dog, or a bear. She was hanged at Salisbury in 1653. But John Aubrey wasn't sure the trial was sound. Part 8 of my series on Aubrey's Natural History — witchcraft, evidence, and an open verdict. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

Just written a talk on the content of John Aubrey’s Natural History that takes in dragons, a secret tunnel, a magic ring, a murderous cloud, giants, a poltergeist (only brief), witches (very brief), and a magic spell that used urine. My job is far too much fun.

I am spending my afternoon writing about John Aubrey’s investigations into dragons 🐉. It is just fabulous.

On 27/04 👇I explore the parts of John Aubrey’s Natural Hist. where he applied c17 empirical methods to dragons, ghosts, witches, a magic ring, secret tunnels, murderous clouds & giants….😱Or as much as I can fit into my slot on this fab panel, but defo dragons. 🐉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dirt-drago...

On 27/04 👇I explore the parts of John Aubrey’s Natural Hist. where he applied c17 empirical methods to dragons, ghosts, witches, a magic ring, secret tunnels, murderous clouds & giants….😱Or as much as I can fit into my slot on this fab panel, but defo dragons. 🐉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dirt-drago...

In this blog I explore how John Aubrey recorded the loss of forests- and the cost to humans and animals that followed. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...