Tewkesbury Museum facts for kids
Tewkesbury Museum is a small and interesting museum in Tewkesbury, a town in Gloucestershire, England. It focuses on the history and heritage of the local area. The museum helps people learn about how life used to be in Tewkesbury.
Contents
A Look at the Museum's Home
The museum is located in a very old building. It's a 17th-century building with a special half-timbered style. You can find it at 64 and 64a Barton Street. This building was given to the town of Tewkesbury in 1956. The gift came with one important rule: it had to be used as a museum.
The museum officially opened its doors in 1962. This happened after the people who were living in the building at the time moved out.
How the Museum Stayed Open
In 1974, there were big changes in how local governments were organized. The old Borough of Tewkesbury was dissolved. It became part of a new, larger council called the Tewkesbury Borough Council. At first, it seemed like the museum might be affected by these changes. However, after some legal discussions, the museum was returned to the control of the Tewkesbury Town Council. This meant it could continue its important work for the community.
The museum building is also very special. It is a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage. This means it's a historically important building that needs to be preserved.
A group called the Friends of Tewkesbury Museum actively supports the museum's work.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has many interesting things on display. Here are some of the exhibits you might find:
- Ancient Roman Finds: You can see early Roman artifacts. These were found when the Roses Theatre was being built. One exciting find was a Roman skeleton!
- Battle of Tewkesbury Diorama: There is a detailed model, called a diorama, of the Battle of Tewkesbury. This battle was a very important event in history.
- Tewkesbury Mop Fair: Learn about the Tewkesbury mop fair. This was a traditional hiring fair where people looked for work.
- Vintage Funfair Model: See a cool model of a funfair from the 1950s. It shows what old-fashioned amusement parks looked like.
- Antarctic Explorer's Items: Discover items related to Raymond Priestley. He was an explorer who traveled to the Antarctic. He came from a place nearby called Bredon's Norton.
- Soldier's Diary: In 2010, the museum displayed parts of a diary. It belonged to a British soldier named Lieutenant Mark Evison. He was from the Welsh Guards and sadly passed away in 2009 after being wounded in Afghanistan. His diary was shown alongside letters from soldiers from earlier times.
More to Explore
