The next temporary exhibition in the Sessions Gallery is titled “Atomics to Medieval Knights – a history of Fitzharris Manor Estate”.

This tells the story of Fitzharris Manor, from its beginning after the Norman Conquest, when it was granted to a knight called Owen or Oin. One of his descendants was called Fitzharry, whose name attached itself to the Manor and is still reflected in the modern housing estate. We track the history of the Manor through time, and how the Manor House changed with a succession of owners. The exhibition then focusses on the coming of the AERE research establishment at Harwell, which brought an influx of new people to the town – the “Atomics”. In order to provide housing for them, a new estate was built on the site of Fitzharris Manor – the Fitzharris Estate. The exhibition looks at the construction, the design, and the people’s life on the estate and how the coming of the Atomics changed the town. It also lifts the lid on what went on at Harwell, and some events which shaped world history but took place right on our doorstep. Much of the research into the history of the estate has been done by Mike Evans of the Fitzharris Estate Residents Association, whose support makes the exhibition possible.