Haddenham Museum is based in Haddenham

Haddenham, Buckinghamshire

Haddenham is a large village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. Its estimated population in 2011 is 8,385 It is about south-west of Aylesbury and north-east of Thame.-History:...

, Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....

 England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

, which is run by volunteers, first opened in 1998, and is housed in the Old Schoolroom of the Methodist chapel

Chapel

A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...

 in the centre of the village. The museum was established to collect and preserve historical information and artefacts about the village and its collection includes both household and industrial items as well as farming implements, photographs and documents relating to the domestic and rural life of the village of Haddenham.

Opening Times and Directions

The museum is open all year round, on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 12 and Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4-30. We are behind the Methodist Chapel in the High Street, nearest postcode is HP17 8ES

History

The idea for a museum resulted from an exhibition held in November 1988. The enthusiasm shown by local people who loaned historic items for, or attended, the exhibition indicated that a museum would be a popular venture. Following an inaugural public meeting in June 1998 and having secured a lease with the Methodist Church, the museum opened in the Chapel's Old Schoolroom on 1 November 1998. On 1 November 2008 the museum celebrated its 10th anniversary which included a display of vintage vehicles and costumed members of the Haddenham Players adding an historic falour to the event.

Collection and activities

The museum’s focus is on domestic, industrial and rural life. To further its aims the museum collects information, photographs and artefacts‘the buildings and lands, the inhabitants and their livelihoods, the tools of their trades, stories and events that make up the history of the village’. The museum arranges special exhibitions every few months and supports schools and community groups by giving talks and tours.

Management and funding

The museum, which is a registered charity, is overseen by a board of ten trustees. The President of the museum who officially opened it is the actor Bruce Alexander

Bruce Alexander

Bruce Alexander is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Superintendent Mullet in the ITV television series A Touch of Frost produced by Yorkshire Television in the United Kingdom, in which he acted as the superior of the main character Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost,...

. There is a committee and stewards with responsibility for looking after the museum's collection and its activities. Everyone involved are volunteers. The Trust's aim is that the museum should become a centre of information for the benefit of the whole community. The museum is funded through fund-raising events and by public subscription. Membership is £5pa adults and £1pa for children. The museum is currently open on Tuesday mornings and Sunday afternoon.