St Albans Museum + Gallery has announced a new major exhibition in its state-of-the-art Weston Gallery. Opening on Saturday, October 19, Science in St Albans: Novum Organum Scientiarum celebrates some of the incredible scientists who have lived and worked in St Albans City and District.

From local entomologist Eleanor Ormerod, who lived on Holywell Hill, to Stephen Hawking, who was educated at St Albans School, this exhibition celebrates the impact St Albans has had on the scientific world.

St Albans is known for its Roman heritage, its place in the Wars of the Roses, and its impressive cathedral and religious history. But residents and visitors may be less familiar with the role St Albans has played in the lives and work of scientists throughout history. Thanks to a new exhibition at St Albans Museum + Gallery, the city’s little-known scientific heritage will now be celebrated.

At the heart of this story is Sir Francis Bacon - a philosopher, poet, garden designer, cryptographer, lawyer, scientist and St Albans resident. His influential book Novum Organum Scientiarum outlined the scientific method which went on to be used by scientists across the world.

Working from Bacon’s new method the exhibition will explore the discoveries made by St Albans linked scientists, focusing in on the works of local scientists, like Hawking, and organisations such as Vickers and Rothamsted Research.

The exhibition will be free to visit and will be on display in the Weston Gallery at St Albans Museum + Gallery from Saturday, October 19, to Sunday, March 15.

Kate Warren, Museums Manager, said: “We’re committed to showcasing a real mix of exhibitions at St Albans Museum + Gallery. We had a wonderful art exhibition and now we’re so pleased to offer this new, more historic exhibition focussed on a lesser-known element of St Albans and its heritage.”

Cllr Anthony Rowlands, Portfolio Holder for Community, Leisure and Sport at St Albans City and District Council, said: “St Albans has a rich and varied history and I’m pleased to see the new museum highlighting the impact this city has had on the world. I hope this new exhibition and the accompanying events for adults, families and schools will inspire the scientists of the future.”

St Albans Museum + Gallery, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Saturday, October 19, to Sunday, March 15. Details: 01727 864 511 stalbansmuseums.org.uk