Pendon Museum

14/10/2026

August Bank Holiday weekend saw many new faces attend our Doll's House event which was stuffed full of modelling kits, demos, incredible artworks and so much to see. A huge thanks goes out to the traders who attended:
Petite Properties Ltd, Amanda's Mini Arcadia, Timea P Vajonne dolls, Smaller Things and Malcolm’s Miniatures. Building on this success, we plan to run another event next year, so keep an eye on our social media channels or our website for further information, or consider subscribing to our email newsletters (form at the bottom of our website: https://www.pendonmuseum.com).
Watch the highlights on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/GbQC2eyY4T8?si=TO5eS_TBGu4lrjtJ

At Pendon we recapture scenes showing the beauty of the English countryside as it was in the Inter-War years. We do this through the medium of detailed, accurate and colourful models constructed to the most exacting standards.

09/10/2026

Behind the scenes at Pendon Museum: The team have been working on getting this very short and rather peripheral but nonetheless charming section of line operational on the Vale Scene which represents a slice of the Wantage Tramway - the first tramway in the world to move from horse to steam power. We're almost certain this is the very first time this tiny model locomotive - 'Jane' (the Tramway's No 5 now preserved at Didcot Railway Centre) has run on this small section of line, another historic moment at Pendon! Once fully cleaned and working smoothly, we then need to work out how to incorporate the operating of this line into our weekend openings for public viewing... which will be a bit tricky as currently the line terminates in the corner! Updates to follow.

03/10/2026

Happening today: 1. John Ahern's historic Madder Valley railway in operation at Pendon Museum (11am-4pm) 2. Didcot Model Railway Show just down the road!

28/09/2026

This Saturday 3rd October get your model railway fix with John Ahern's historic Madder Valley railway in operation at Pendon Museum (11am-4pm) and why not also visit the Model Railway Show run by Abingdon and District Model Railway Club just down the road!

25/09/2026

"Oh Twittles..."
We recently came across an amusing entry in one of our founder Roye's diaries from 27th December 1954, describing an encounter with a local stray kitten, which he had named 'Twittles'. Roye had thought the kitten a bit of a twit, and had compromised with the 'Tiddles' local children had christened it.

"I had been writing half an hour in the office when, for the second time, I heard a rustle for which I couldn't account. Probably Twittles was hiding somewhere... and a fear that I couldn't believe suddenly clutched me. There were a lot of things on the sideboard, and one of them was a large cardboard box containing all the models of the Badbury Group, which I had put there specially for safety. It looked completely undisturbed, but that sense of foreboding made me open it quickly and put in my hand. It immediately touched fur and I dragged Twittles out... Two years' work, infinitely delicate, was under tissue paper that the cat had screwed into a ball to make a nest directly on the top of the models... With hands whose shaking I was powerless to control I took out the torn paper, then the chapel, which had been knocked upside down. The guttering on one side was ripped off, its downpipe and chimney with iron stay were gone, as well as some of the ridge, and slates at the eaves were badly torn, leaving a long gash of white frayed paper... I could have cried, but Twittles was back in my chair purring contentedly... I think I shall never lose the horror-picture of a gigantic kitten nesting in tissue paper on the tiny roof tops of Pendon."

Fortunately, Roye later reports "... Spent three hours repairing the models, and they are back to their former beauty, praise be."
Below: Roye's modelling space with several buildings in progress

16/09/2026

Last chance to visit Pendon Museum for FREE today Wed 16th Sept as part of Heritage Open Days! 🥳 Doors open from 11am-4pm (last entry 3.15pm) and we have a tea room and accessible toilet facilities.

12/09/2026

Visit us for FREE this weekend (12th & 13th Sept) as part of Heritage Open Days! 🥳 Doors open from 11am-4pm (last entry 3.15pm) and we have a tea room and accessible toilet facilities.

08/09/2026

This weekend 12th/13th and Wednesday 16th Sept. Pendon Museum will be opening with FREE ENTRY as part of Heritage Open Days; England’s largest festival of history and culture. This is a really exciting opportunity for us to share the museum with as many visitors as possible, as we aim to become more accessible to the communities we serve. There are lots of other events happening in the local area too - see what's on at www.heritageopendays.org.uk

04/09/2026

Our latest YouTube video is a unique opportunity to view the Vale scene from the engine driver's cab. It offers a great insight into the scenery and buildings from a totally different perspective. Watch it here:

Another chance to view the Vale of White Horse from the engine driv...

02/09/2026

Last weekend we had a great time with our stand at the Uffington White Horse Show and were briefly interviewed by WRFM- Radio for Oxfordshire & The Cotswolds who were doing an amazing job of informing and entertaining the crowds - you can listen to their podcast here (for Pendon skip to 12:15) https://tinyurl.com/3e35ddy4