The Sheep Ate Up the Fairies
Trowbridge Museum, Wiltshire, UK.
7 June to 8 November 2025
For centuries, Trowbridge was a bustling hub of the woollen industry. But this prosperity, coupled with the new realities of early industrial reliefs, came at a cost. The exhibition argues that these forces effectively “ate up” the fairies, silencing the ancient stories and traditions that once permeated the town’s landscape.
However, “The Sheep Ate Up the Fairies” isn’t just a lament for what’s lost. It isn’t your typical whimsical fairytale display. Instead, prepare to delve into hoe the town’s industrial past reshaped its folklore and banished its magic.
It is a vibrant attempt to reclaim and reimagine Trowbridge’s folklore in a post-industrial era. Renowned local author Alan Snow and his Boxtrolls join us, along with local artists, Rachael McDonald – “The Fireside Dragon” and “Valerian Fibres”, who have been commissioned to contribute stunning new works that not only breathe life back into the town’s forgotten narratives but also explore and create new characters and stories.
Trowbridge Museum Exhibition 2025
The Wiltshire snare 