Harborough Museum facts for kids
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Harborough Museum is a cool place to explore the history of Market Harborough. It opened in 1983 inside an old factory that used to make corsets. Today, it shares the building with the Harborough District Council offices.
The museum is managed by a team including Leicestershire County Council and the Harborough Museum Trust. It celebrates Market Harborough's past as a busy market town. It also shows off its history as a center for making things and trading between Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
You can see many interesting things at the museum. There are old Symington corsets, including the famous liberty bodice. You can also learn about the Harboro Rubber Company and how boots and shoes were made. There's even an 18th-century long case clock from Harborough. Plus, you'll find ancient toys and local archaeology discoveries.
The museum is officially recognized by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).
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Museum Updates
New Look for the Museum
Harborough Museum got a big makeover and reopened in April 2014. The building was updated by the district council. Now, the museum is on the first floor, sharing a space with the library. This makes it easy to visit both at once!
The displays are much better now, thanks to a grant from a local charity. One of the most exciting things you can see is the Hallaton Treasure. This is a very important Iron Age discovery from Britain.
Discovering the Hallaton Treasure
The Hallaton Treasure was found near Hallaton in the Welland Valley in 2000. It was discovered by local archaeologists and experts from the University of Leicester. This amazing hoard includes over 5000 silver and gold coins. It also has a silver Roman helmet, jewelry, and many other items.
Most of these treasures are from around the time the Romans came to Britain. The place where the treasure was found was a special ritual site. People used it for important ceremonies before and after the Romans arrived in the 1st century AD.
The Hallaton Helmet on Display
The incredible Hallaton Helmet spent about ten years being cleaned and studied. This work happened at the British Museum. Since January 2012, you can see this special helmet at the Harborough Museum.
Another unique item found with the treasure is a silver cup. Experts believe this cup might be the oldest of its kind ever made in Britain.
Old Toys from a Church
The museum also has a special collection of 17th-century toys. More than 200 of these old toys were found hidden behind a bricked-up stairwell. This was inside St. Dionysius Church in the center of Market Harborough.
These toys include whip-tops, small balls, and whistles. They were made from simple materials like wood, pig's knuckle bones, and fabric. Kids long ago had to make their own toys, as they weren't mass-produced like today. The Market Harborough Historical Society also displays items from its collection here.
