Congleton Museum is a

local museum A local museum or local history museum is a type of museum that shows the historical development of a place/region (local history) using exhibits. These museums usually maintain a collection of historic three-dimensional objects which are exh ...

Congleton Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The town is by the River Dane, south of Manchester and north of Stoke on Trent. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 26,482. Top ...

, Cheshire, northwest England, covering the history of the town of Congleton, which is situated on the banks of the

River Dane The River Dane is a tributary of the River Weaver that originates in the Peak District area of England. The name of the river (earlier ''Daven'') is probably from the Old Welsh ''dafn'', meaning a "drop or trickle", implying a slow-moving river. ...

. ''Congleton Museum Trust'' was established in 1985 by a group of people interested in

local history Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small bu ...

. The museum is located in the

Market square The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a Town square, square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.

History

In 1985 a group of local people formed the Congleton Museum Trust. They collected artefacts, raised money and searched the town for premises suitable for a museum. In the mid-1990s, a second group of people, who planned to refurbish

Congleton Town Hall Congleton Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Congleton, Cheshire, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Congleton Town Council, is a grade II* listed building. History The first town hall on the site was a h ...

with the help of Regeneration Funding, became involved, and a museum was written into the refurbishment plans. The former police station, a Victorian building which was part of the town hall complex, was proposed as the museum. The

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

awarded the project over £200,000, and other local and national trusts, businesses and local authorities assisted. Building work started in January 2002, and Congleton Museum opened on 29 July 2002. Congleton Museum opened plaque

Congleton Museum was officially opened by the

Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curren ...

on 9 October 2002.

Collection and exhibits

The museum focuses on the history of Congleton and its immediate neighbourhood, with particular emphasis on prehistory, the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, the Industrial age and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The main display area is on the ground floor. On the first floor there is a research library and map collection and an education room. This is used for exhibitions, school visits, talks and social events. There are also showcases for the display of other items from the collection. The museum's collection includes a 1500BC burial urn, a log boat from the

Norman period The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

, and two 17th century

coin hoard A hoard or "wealth deposit" is an archaeological term for a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground, in which case it is sometimes also known as a cache. This would usually be with the intention o ...

s. The museum houses tableaux illustrating life in the town during prehistoric times, in the Civil War, in the heyday of the textile industry and during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Figures from the past tell their stories, and interactive computers fill in the background. Relief maps show the changes over the centuries. The Civil War was particularly significant to Congleton – a former mayor of the town, John Bradshaw, was first to sign

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

's death warrant. A cannonball from that time, still embedded in a piece of wall from

Biddulph Hall Biddulph is a town in Staffordshire, England, north of Stoke-on-Trent and south-east of Congleton, Cheshire. Origin of the name Biddulph's name may come from Old English language, Anglo-Saxon/Old English ''bī dylfe'' = "beside the pit or ...

, is in the museum. There are frequent temporary exhibitions, often involving the work of local schools. File:Congleton museum stocks.JPG, Congleton Stocks File:Congleton museum war medals.JPG, A Selection of War Medals File:Congleton museum charter sopy.JPG, Display case including a copy of a James I Charter

Access

Entry to the museum is free. The museum is fully accessible for people with disabilities, with a wheelchair lift on the stairs, an accessible toilet and a

hearing loop Audio induction loop systems, also called audio-frequency induction loops (AFILs) or hearing loops, are an assistive listening technology for individuals with reduced ranges of hearing. A hearing loop consists of one or more physical loop of cab ...

available for talks and walks. Inside congleton museum

Education

The museum offers a Second World War Evacuee Experience for primary aged children on the theme of the

Events

The museum holds local history walks along various themes; past themes have included "Surprising trades", "A pub crawl through Time" and "Mill Walks and Industrial Yarns". Talks are given by guest speakers or the museum's Collection's Manager, Ian Doughty, on topics such as the Staffordshire Hoard and researching

Research

The museum has a local history

reference library A library is a collection of Document, materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or electronic media, digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a ...

containing publications associated with Congleton and the surrounding area. The archive collection includes the town charters and account books as well as estate, business and private papers. The museum has an image bank of over 5,000 pictures, which provide a visual history of Congleton.

References

External links

Congleton Museum website
{{coord, 53.1632, -2.2105, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Museums established in 1985 Local museums in Cheshire Congleton 1985 establishments in England