Cowbridge and District Museum

About the museum

Cowbridge Museum Trust was established in 1986. The museum occupies two rows of former prison cells in the centre of Cowbridge Town Hall. The cells were first built around 1576 as part of a House of Correction and went out of use at the beginning of the 19th century, when a new prison was built in Swansea. They stayed largely unchanged in the middle of the building as it developed into the Town Hall.

Over several years in the 1980s a group of local residents, notably Marion Eveleigh, asked the public to donate items of interest. These gifts became the foundation of the present collection, which is displayed in the cells and the adjoining corridors. Exhibits cover the archives, costume and textiles, natural sciences, social history and archaeology of Cowbridge and the surrounding district.

The museum is run entirely by volunteers, some of whom are trustees while others look after the collection or welcome visitors. In 2015 it gained full accreditation under the Welsh Government's quality assurance scheme, and the accreditation was renewed in 2024.

Highlights

• Displays housed in the original prison cells of the Town Hall
• Local history, costume and textiles, archaeology and natural sciences
• Run entirely by volunteers and fully accredited
• Free entry

Permanent exhibition

• Cowbridge and district collection in the Town Hall cells – Archives, costume and textiles, natural science, social history and archaeology of Cowbridge and the surrounding district, shown in the former prison cells.

Founded

1986

Operated by

Cowbridge Museum Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; donations towards the upkeep of the museum are welcome.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• 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

The galleries are former prison cells and corridors, which may have steps, narrow doorways and low headroom, so visitors with mobility difficulties are advised to phone ahead.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the cells at the back of Cowbridge Town Hall on the High Street.

Amenities & dining

Cafés, pubs and shops are nearby on the High Street.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit