The Edward Jenner Museum, Berkeley

Edward Jenner - The Man Who Changed the World

The Chantry, an elegant Grade 2* Listed Queen Anne house, is the former home of Dr Edward Jenner (1749-1823). His house lies in the historic town of Berkeley, 15 miles north of Bristol. From here in 1796 Jenner pioneered vaccination (against smallpox), a discovery which 'has saved more lives than the work of any other man'.
His house celebrates his life and legacy. The museum collections reflect personal and domestic aspects of the Jenner family: Jenner's spectacles, a lock of his hair, and family christening robes; and interactives exploring the science of immunology. The atmospheric attic rooms have recently been opened for the first time with guided tours (contact the museum in advance for times). In the beautiful grounds are 'The Temple of Vaccinia' – a thatched summerhouse where Jenner vaccinated the local poor free of charge; the Old Cyder House, which houses the shop and café but is also available for meetings hire and educational activities; and Jenner's Vinery, which bears fruit in August/September. Annual events programme.
Edward Jenner's interests however existed far beyond medicine. He explored ballooning, the behaviour and anatomy of cuckoos, geology, hedgehog hibernation and heart disease.
In Jenner's day, it is estimated that up to 10% of the population of Europe died of smallpox each year. During the 20th century more than 300 million deaths were attributable to smallpox. The last death from smallpox in the UK was in 1978. Following Jenner's research, the WHO declared the world free of smallpox in 1980. The global spread of HIV/AIDS, the recent SARS outbreak, and the threatened bird flu pandemic have brought the benefits of vaccination once again into sharp focus.