Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre

🏰 Hear ye, hear ye! Medieval Day returneth to Bradwell Abbey! ⚔️🐉
Gather thy family and journey back through the centuries for a day of merriment, adventure and medieval mischief! Medieval Day at Bradwell abbey 🏰🐉⚔️

📅 Sunday 13th September
⏰ 11am–3pm
📍 Bradwell Abbey
🎟️ FREE entry

TODAY! FREE, family-friendly event at Bradwell Abbey celebrating all things to do with our special Grade I listed pilgrimage chapel, dedicated to Mary. We’ll have the building open for visitors to drop in and see the medieval wall paintings, including one that is unique!

📅 Friday 14th August
🕚 11am – 2pm
📍 MK13 9AP or w3w flies.trembles.observes
▶ St Mary's Day at Bradwell Abbey

The Bradwell Abbey site is a wonderful place for a picnic, or a base for a longer walk north towards the Concrete Cows and Roman villa, or south towards Lodge Lake. There is free parking, the number 6 and 33 buses stop on Monks Way, and the redway system encircles the site.

Interested in local history? Want to see inside the Grade I listed pilgrimage chapel at Bradwell Abbey?

Come and celebrate St Mary's Day with us tomorrow! (Friday 14th August.)

You'll be able to view the medieval wall paintings - one of which is unique in existing English medieval wall paintings!

You can also hear all about the skeleton excavated during conservation works in 2020-21 - who was she and what can she tell us about our past? 'The Lady of Bradwell' talk starts at 11.30am and lasts 20-30 minutes.

Milton Keynes Museum are bringing along some archaeological artefacts from excavations at Bradwell Abbey during the 1970s and 1980s.

We've also got an exhibition on the history of the site, the chapel and how Mary is viewed in different religions. Plus, a pilgrim badge keyring craft activity for the kids!

📅 Friday 14th August
🕚 11am – 2pm
📍 MK13 9AP or w3w flies.trembles.observes
▶ St Mary's Day at Bradwell Abbey

Ouse Walk at Cosgrove Aqueduct, c.1975, ink and Letraset on cardboard
MAH/02/04/005

This artwork was created by Bo Mahaddie during his time working at the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. Mahaddie’s holistic approach to urban design meant his work put people at the centre of his designs. Many of his concept drawings focus on how residents of the new city might be using the spaces that were being created. This one imagines the River Ouse and the Iron Trunk Aqueduct as a place for wildlife, boating, fishing and enjoying nature.

Do you enjoy a walk at this historic part of Milton Keynes?

Looking for a FREE local school holiday activity?

We're excited to welcome you for family-friendly fun at Bradwell Abbey this Friday.

🔹 Get crafty with pilgrim badge keyring making
🔹 Discover artefacts from Bradwell Abbey now looked after by Milton Keynes Museum
🔹Hear our Director's talk on the recent skeleton found on site - who was she? And what can she tell us about our past? (11.30am)
🔹Explore the Grade I listed 14th century pilgrim chapel and see its wall paintings

📅 Friday 14th August
🕚 11am – 2pm (skeleton talk at 11.30am)
📍 MK13 9AP or w3w flies.trembles.observes
▶ St Mary's Day at Bradwell Abbey

The Bradwell Abbey site is a wonderful place for a picnic, or a base for a longer walk north towards the Concrete Cows and Roman villa, or south towards Lodge Lake. There is free parking, the number 6 and 33 buses stop on Monks Way, and the redway system encircles the site.

We’re celebrating 500 years since the post-dissolution survey of Bradwell priory was carried out in 1526! As it’s nearly St Mary's Day at Bradwell Abbey we thought we’d explore what the survey had to say about what is now the only surviving complete building from the time of the priory – St Mary’s Chapel.

Unfortunately, it was not much! The two lines in this image are all that describe it. In case you can’t read early 16th century court hand (don’t worry, we can’t either), here’s what they say:

“Item there is a little Chapell withowte the Church which
may not welbe spared
Item thofferyng at our ladie of Bradwell in the same
Chapell is worth yerlie”

What the survey is telling us is that there is a chapel on the outside of the priory church that is worth keeping as it is in good condition. The second line would tell us how much the chapel brought in yearly by way of offerings, but, like the rest of the surviving document, the values are unfortunately omitted.

Transcription of the survey taken from ‘Excavations at Bradwell Priory’ by Dennis C. Mynard in Milton Keynes Journal of Archaeology & History, No. 3, 1974

Image is an extract from E 36/165 held by The National Archives

Well done to everyone who knew that this is Tickford Bridge in Newport Pagnell! Built in 1810 and Grade I listed in 1971.

Look out for more Mystery Monday next week 🕵

Here's this week's ! Do you know where this is in the Milton Keynes area? Show off your local knowledge and let us know your guesses in the comments. We'll reveal the answer at 4pm today!

Every week we test our friends and followers, and challenge them to identify where a photo from our archive was taken. You can discover more from our Image Archive via the lınk in the comments.

Here's this week's ! Do you know where this is in the Milton Keynes area? Show off your local knowledge and let us know your guesses in the comments. We'll reveal the answer at 4pm today!

Every week we test our friends and followers, and challenge them to identify where a photo from our archive was taken. You can discover more from our Image Archive via the lınk in the comments.

TODAY! Guided tour of Bradwell Abbey, join us to discover more about Milton Keynes’ medieval hidden gem! From the priory's foundations in the 12th century to its dissolution and beyond, our experienced guides will show you the site and you can see inside the Chapel of St. Mary.

📆 Today (Sunday 9th August)
🕚 11am
📍 Bradwell Abbey, MK13 9AP w3w ///flies.trembles.observes
Guided Tour @ Bradwell Abbey

Housing was the key reason that Milton Keynes was designated a new city in 1967. Join us as we explore some of the housing to be found in the area, from before, during and after the Milton Keynes Development Corporation.

This shared ownership scheme on Bradwell Common Boulevard was designed by Milton Keynes Development Corporation and constructed by Finnegans around 1983. Government policy put an end to most public housing for rent at the beginning of the 1980s and MKDC began to develop shared ownership schemes as a replacement. The occupant pays a mortgage upon a percentage share of the house and rent for the balance.

The 40 dwellings consist of two and three bedroom semi-detached houses, and one and two bedroom studio houses. The architect has attempted to create an urban feeling and the three storeys allow for more dwellings in a smaller plot.

Discover more in our online exhibition: Housing in Milton Keynes - lınk in the comments.