CAN you guess where this week’s Mystery Photograph was taken?

Each week, the Journal invites readers to test their local knowledge by identifying a historic location from days gone by.

Last week’s Mystery Photograph showed Timsbury Square decorated for the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902.

In 1902, King Edward VII was crowned on  August 9, after an initial coronation planned for June 26 was postponed when the King fell ill with appendicitis and underwent surgery. The delay affected plans across the country, but once the new date was confirmed, communities prepared with enthusiasm for celebrations to mark the beginning of the Edwardian era.

Local towns and villages often organised their own festivities to honour the coronation. Decorations such as flags, bunting and patriotic emblems were commonly displayed along high streets, around public buildings and in village squares, providing a colourful backdrop for processions, gatherings and civic events. In some places, children received commemorative medals or mugs to mark the occasion and were treated to community entertainments, meals or sports.

For many communities, the coronation combined both secular and religious elements. Church services, bell ringing, and processions were frequently part of the day’s events, reflecting both civic pride and traditional observances. Timsbury is a village in Bath and North East Somerset with a long history dating back to at least the Domesday Book of 1086. The central part of the village, centred around the Square and High Street, was designated a conservation area in 1978, reflecting its historic character and the survival of buildings made from local White Lias stone from the 1700s.

Such local celebrations across England demonstrate how national royal occasions were embraced at a grassroots level, with communities coming together to decorate their public spaces and share in the wider sense of national celebration, providing context for photographs of Timsbury Square adorned for the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902.