From Birmingham to Byzantium to the Cotswolds: stories of Ernest and Sidney Barnsley

2026 marks the centenary of the death two of the Cotswolds’ greatest Arts and Crafts architects, the brothers Ernest and Sidney Barnsley. They moved, with their friend Ernest Gimson, to Gloucestershire in the 1890s, and all three stayed here for all their lives. They originally hailed from Birmingham, but both left to study in London, where they met the friends who would become the architects of the Movement.

This talk follows their life stories, including travels abroad as young men, Ernest heading to France and Italy, and Sidney to Greece and Turkey. After they settled in the Cotswolds they worked as architects and furniture makers, and the talk will look at their buildings, from Ernest’s Rodmarton Manor to Sidney’s Painswick almhouses, and their craft work, particularly Sidney’s furniture. We’ll also explore their lives in Sapperton, who they socialised with, and what they did for fun! We’ll also explore their legacies, through work by Sidney’s children, Grace and Edward, and Ernest’s son-in-law, Norman Jewson – and beyond.  

Tickets £7.50 / £6 / £5 Museum in the Park members (Memberships is FREE to join)

Advance booking recommended. Book online here or call 01453 763394

Image: The garden at Rodmarton Manor, Gloucestershire