THE story of the Bloomsbury Group is coming to Salisbury in a major new exhibition exploring the celebrated circle’s deep and often overlooked Wiltshire roots.

Bloomsbury in Wiltshire: Bringing the Bloomsbury Story Home will open at The Salisbury Museum from May 23 to 27 September 27, shining a light on the group’s years at Ham Spray House on the north Wiltshire Downs.

Although closely associated with London and Sussex, members of the influential early 20th century collective regularly gathered at Ham Spray House between 1924 and 1960.

The house was home to Lytton Strachey, Dora Carrington and Ralph and Frances Partridge, and became a creative hub for artists, writers and thinkers including Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.

The exhibition will feature paintings and sculptures created by, or depicting, residents of Ham Spray House, alongside works by Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, Stephen Tomlin and Roger Fry.

Loans will come from major institutions including the National Portrait Gallery, Fitzwilliam Museum, Jerwood Foundation and the Tate.

Dora Carrington by Mark Gertler, 1913, pencil on paper. Private collection.

Visitors will also see rare film footage capturing members of the group, as well as photo albums and ceramics designed by Bloomsbury artists.

Director of The Salisbury Museum Adrian Green said: “The Bloomsbury Group’s story is often told in the context of London and Sussex, yet their years in Wiltshire were among their most intimate and creatively rich.

“By exploring their time at Ham Spray House, this exhibition reveals a remarkable local chapter in the lives of some of Britain’s most influential artists and thinkers.

“We’re delighted to share this vibrant legacy with our visitors and to celebrate Wiltshire’s place within the wider Bloomsbury narrative.”