Tring Local History Museum
Most people in these parts will of course be familiar with the Natural History Museum in Tring, with its splendid collection of beasts large and small, but they might not know that the town has another museum, without a stuffed animal in sight.
Tring Local History Museum is in Brook Street, opposite the petrol station. It occupies the building which was until 1993 the office of the Cattle Market. Set up by a society of enthusiasts, it opened in 2010 after a sustained campaign and with the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The museum takes a journey through the history of Tring and its surrounding villages, from ancient to modern, set out in clear, bright graphics and illustrated by local finds, from prehistoric stone axes to a 1950s bus ticket machine made in the town. There are changing displays, including a sketchbook with local scenes from the 1830s, and an exhibition about law and order over the years, with exhibits from truncheons and handcuffs to a Cold War alarm siren. We have a number of books and maps on sale about the local area, and some attractive souvenirs.
We are an Accredited Museum. Back in 2015 we secured the loan of the town’s 1315 Charter document from the National Archives, and next year we hope to have some of the famous medieval Tring Tiles on loan from the V&A Museum.
The museum is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (3.30 p.m. from November to February) and is free of charge to go round. We are a charity, run entirely by volunteers, so donations to support our work are always welcome.