Chobham Museum

About the museum

Chobham Museum opened in September 2000 as the village's Millennium project. Its purpose is to give the community a focus for local history and a safe place to display and store objects, documents and photographs connected with Chobham and the surrounding area. The collection has grown through gifts and loans from residents and from Surrey Heath Museum.

The museum is run entirely by volunteers. A management committee oversees it, and volunteer "Minders" welcome visitors during opening hours. The permanent displays follow the village from prehistoric times through the Roman and Saxon periods, the Middle Ages and the Tudor era to the present day. Chobham was a mainly agricultural community, and a large display of farm implements, tools and clothing shows how people worked the land.

A major episode in local history was the Great Camp of 1853, when some 16,000 troops trained on Chobham Common before leaving for the Crimean War and Queen Victoria came to review them. Four display panels with objects from the time tell this story. Other displays show old houses of the parish, local personalities, domestic items used for cooking, laundry and sewing, and a cabinet of Chobham porcelain. A central area is used for special exhibitions on a single theme; typically four or five are staged each year.

Highlights

• Great Camp of 1853 display with panels and objects
• Farm tools, implements and clothing showing village farming life
• Panels on old houses and local personalities
• Cabinet of Chobham porcelain
• Domestic items for cooking, laundry, sewing and cleaning

Permanent exhibitions

• History through the Ages – Displays follow the development of Chobham from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages through Roman and Saxon times and the Middle Ages to the present.
• Farming in Chobham – Tools, implements and clothing illustrate the farming life of a village that has always been mainly agricultural.
• The Great Camp of 1853 – Four panels and some objects tell the story of the military camp of about 16,000 troops on Chobham Common and the visit of Queen Victoria.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Volunteer management committee (charity)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Visitors are invited to leave a donation in the collection box.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A ramp leads up to the museum entrance. By prior arrangement, a car can be parked close to the museum for visitors with limited mobility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Children and students are welcome. Families can look at pictures of village life, old shops and farm tools from the last 100 years or so and compare them with today.

Getting there & parking

The museum stands across the green from Benhams Corner, off Bagshot Road.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Small shop with books, souvenirs and items related to the village and its surroundings.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit