Richard Jefferies Museum

The Richard Jefferies Museum in Swindon is housed in the farmhouse at Coate, where he was born in 1848.

The Richard Jefferies Museum is a small museum based in the old 17th-century thatched cottage of the esteemed famous Victorian nature writer Richard Jefferies

The museum which was the home where Jefferies was born, pays tribute to him and his work but also the passion he had for the English countryside and the human relationship with nature. Now recognised as the first nature conservationist he even coined the term 'Wild Life'.  Richard Jefferies's contribution to writing, from his essays to fiction showed what a visionary he was as a writer and observer of society, and how he really was ahead of his time. His childhood at Coate in Swindon was most inspirational to him and provided the background to most of his famous works of fiction too.

The Museum offers visitors the opportunity to explore the inner workings of the farmhouse, the orchard, and the surrounding grounds bought by the Jefferies family in the 1800s. Located next to Coate Water Country Park this gem of a museum is perfect for old and young alike.

They run regular activities, 'Nature Tots' outside in the gardens and inside the house. These groups are aimed at young children and have nature and art at the very heart of all they do. In the summer expect live music in the garden by local musicians, enjoyed accompanied with a cream tea from the little cafe located in the house.

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