John Wesley’s Shoe Buckles

1) Wesley and his shoe buckles travelled over 250,000 miles across the country on horseback!.

2) Birmingham was the place for shoe buckle replacements – in the eighteenth century the city was producing 2.5 million pairs of buckles each year

3)It was in Georgia, America where John Wesley first encountered the brutality of slavery.

4) Kingswood School in Bath continues as a secondary school today with over 800 pupils.

5) John Wesley did not care for fashion; his shoes would have been plain and practical.

As a young man teaching in America John Wesley was shocked to see the pupils from richer families mocking those classmates who could not afford shoes. His response was to turn up at school himself wearing no shoes. These shoe buckles belonged to John Wesley and this story is a perfect reminder of Wesley’s intention in helping bring families out of poverty through education. Following his time teaching in America, John Wesley went on to establish his own school in Kingswood, Bristol which later moved out to Bath in 1852.

Admission prices

General Admission
Adults £7
Seniors (65+) £6
Student £6
Children (5-16) £4
Children (under 5) Free
Carer of disabled visitor Free
Family tickets:
1 adult and up to 3 children £10
2 adults and up to 3 children £15
Additional children - £2 per child

Tickets are valid for one year, and include a free audio guide. Please note, these prices will be subject to review in 2021.

Opening Hours

The whole site:
Monday - Saturday, 11am - 3pm
The Café:
Monday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm

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John Wesley's Shoe Buckles