Tring Local History Museum is based in Tring

Tring

Tring is a small market town and also a civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in Hertfordshire, England. Situated north-west of London and linked to London by the old Roman road of Akeman Street, by the modern A41, by the Grand Union Canal and by rail lines to Euston Station, Tring is now largely a...

, Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

, 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 2010 and is housed in the office of the former livestock market. The museum's collection comprises artefacts, paintings and photographs relating to the history of the town and surrounding villages.

History

The Tring & District Local History and Museum Society was formed in 1994 and one of its main objectives was the creation of a local history museum for Tring and surrounding villages. The society joined with Tring Town Council

Town council

A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....

 to find a suitable building to convert into a museum. Together they were able to successfully bid for a Heritage Lottery Fund

Heritage Lottery Fund

The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...

 award. The Tring livestock market closed in 2004. In 2006 the town council, which owned the freehold on the property, agreed a lease with the Society for the market’s office building which was built in 1893. Following refurbishment of the building the museum was opened on 23 September 2010.

Collections and activities

According to the museum website the stated aim of the local history museum is that it “’reflects all aspects of life in and around Tring from the earliest days until the recent past, and records events, objects and the people who lived there.”’ Exhibits relate to the people of the town and the surrounding villages, the buildings and the local events over the years. The collection includes items, from prehistoric times up until the present day covering a broad range of topics including artifacts, photographs and documents relating to; military uniforms and ephemera, straw plaiting, commemorative events, Victorian and rural costumes.
In addition to permanent displays there is a programme for temporary exhibitions on topical themes. For local schools the museum is able to provide activities for all age groups and covering a broad range of curriculum areas.

Management and funding

The museum, which is a registered charity, is run by a team of volunteers. The museum is funded through grants, membership subscriptions, and donations. Admission to the museum is free and it is currently open on Fridays and Saturdays.