Nicola Sherhod is the Director of John Bunyan Museum & Library.
Nicola has had a passion for history from an early age. She has worked in all areas of museums for twelve years before becoming the first professional Curator of John Bunyan Museum and Library in 2011. Director of the museum from 2022, Nicola seeks to promote the Museum and raise awareness of the relevance of John Bunyan today and his importance for Bedford, engaging with the Bedford community through projects such as The Journey from Bunyan to the Brickworks, Bunyan Inspired, and a project with HMP Bedford.
Nicola has a BA degree in Fine Art and Art History from University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and a Masters in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester. She has volunteered at Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth, Banbury Museum, St. Neots Museum, and had placements at The Museum of Oxford and the Bodleian Library. She started her early museum career as Assistant Keeper of Human History at Warwickshire Museum Service, before moving briefly to St Neots Museum and then the John Bunyan Museum & Library. She is an Associate member of the Museums Association
(AMA).
In 2015/16 she co-authored Bunyan Meeting History: Padre W. J. Coates, Letters from the Front, a collection of letters to his congregation from the minister of Bunyan Meeting, who was an army chaplain during World War One. She is a director of the Modes Users Association board since 2016, including 4 years as the Chair. A founding member and chair of Heritage Bedford; a network of heritage organisations in Bedford Borough.