The actor Ben Miller declared Gladiators - A Cemetery of Secrets exhibition now open at Corinium Museum, Cirencester.

This is the first 'touring' exhibition at the museum and runs from October 2022 to 23 April 2023.

Ben Miller commented: "I couldn't be prouder of this museum. As small and perfectly formed as the town it serves, a place where you can immerse yourself in the fascinating history of the Cotswolds, a local museum that is truly a national treasure.

"And as if the fascinating Stone Age, Iron Age, Bronze Age, and Roman exhibits weren't enough, now with added Gladiators."

Along with Ben Miller, The Ermine Street Guard, and Legio Secunda Augusta - Gladiator re-enactors - added theatre to the evening, allowing supporters of the museum to come together to open and launch this unique exhibition.

These included Friends of Corinium Museum, President Earl Bathurst, and not forgetting, honorary member Ben Miller; representatives from Everyone Active; and The Winstone Trust committee members.

Dr Ives succinctly sums it up on behalf of the Winstone Trust: "The Winstone Trust is delighted to have helped with funding this special exhibition. The people of Cirencester are blessed with having a small but world-class museum in its midst.

"This new exhibition is an excellent example of the continuing work done by the museum to make our history visible and accessible to the people of Cirencester and our visitors. We hope everyone visiting will find the experience both educational and enjoyable."

Their arrival of these skeletons marks the launch of the Corinium Museum's Gladiators: A Cemetery of Secrets exhibition, a touring exhibition from The JORVIK Group of Attractions, operators of the award-winning JORVIK Viking Centre.

Dr Katharine Walker, museum director, said: "In keeping with this theme of gladiators is a rich programme of events and activities running over the next six months. We have gladiator re-enactment days led by our friends, Legio Secunda Augusta, during the October half term and more throughout the exhibition, and look out for gladiator school.

"We are also proud to work with an award-winning contemporary artist Olivier Jamin to produce British Sign Language videos to accompany the exhibition. This has been funded through the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives that have also helped us to provide 100 free family tickets to the museum to five local charities, including the Foodbank.

"Thank you to St James's Place for their financial contribution to this. None of this would have been possible without the financial support of the Friends of Corinium Museum, Everyone Active, and the Winstone Trust. We are hugely grateful to them for their continued support."

Jenny Forde, Cotswold District Council councillor, said: "We ask that you pass on the news that this exhibition is here until 23 April 2023 and is well worth a visit. This is such an excellent opportunity to give a boost to our economy here in Cirencester. The museum is a fantastic, warm, and beautiful space to visit during the winter months, and the opportunity to see Gladiators - A Cemetery of Secrets - is here."

Earl Bathurst, president of Corinium Museum, added: "As president, we are delighted to support this event, and we encourage all to visit this exhibition, particularly, children and grandchildren, who will find this time in history, to be fascinating, albeit a bit gruesome!"

To pre-book your tickets and for more information, please visit https://coriniummuseum.org/discover/gladiators/