A Symposium on Roman Exeter may not exactly fill you with excitement but please bear with me here. It would be fair to say that many people completely overlook their local museums and the wonderful array of events that are often held in them. This may be because museums are associated with school trips and the like and the attitude that once you have visited a museum once, you will have seen enough to last you a lifetime.
If this train of thought sounds familiar you may be in for a very pleasant surprise as there are quite a few forward thinking museums out there who stage numerous shows and events throughout the year which can only be described as groundbreaking.
One museum in particular which deserves particular praise would have to be the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter. Thanks to lottery funding this museum has a full calendar of activities and events and special mention must be made of this symposium on the subject of Roman Exeter which takes place on the last Saturday in February.
A favourite with the Romans
If you are not familiar with the history of Exeter, in the 1970's an excavation took place which revealed far more than anyone could ever have hoped for. A Roman bath house along with a legionary fortress was discovered and the symposium spends a full day investigating exactly what was uncovered during that period of time.
The symposium starts at 10.30am and finishes at 4pm and at only £15 it represents excellent value for money. The thing is though; to make the most out of this event it would be a good idea to take a walk around the city afterwards so that you can see at first hand where the excavations took place. It would not be an exaggeration to say that by doing this so much more will be added to the experience and you will get far more out of it all.
Easy to find
Back to Exeter museum, it can be found just off the trendy Gandy Street in the city centre and if you are arriving by train be sure to get off at Exeter Central as opposed to the main station at Exeter St David's. This will mean that you will have less than a five minute walk to the museum instead of needing to jump into a cab from the other side of the city.
So much to see and do
Even if Roman Exeter is not your cup of tea a visit to the museum is a must as there is so much to see and do with a full day really being needed to take everything in. The café within the museum is very good which is quite rare as far as museums go and there is a very relaxed feeling about the place which is probably not what you remember from your museum visits from childhood.
So, if you are local to the area or are perhaps planning a city break, a trip to Exeter museum could very well be on your agenda with the symposium on Roman Exeter definitely being on the cards if you are interested in finding out more about the fascinating history of Exeter.
Are you a museum lover and have you visited the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter? Do you have your own favourite museum and what is it that you find absolutely fascinating? Please let us know…