Dartford Borough Museum
Small free local museum in the Central Library building telling the story of Dartford from the Stone Age to the 20th century.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The idea of a town museum in Dartford was raised in 1906 by the local photographer and antiquarian E. C. Youens, after the old town stocks were found. An exhibition of local antiquities that year was so popular that a committee was formed, and in 1907 the urban district council adopted the Museums Act. The first collection was kept at the Technical Institute in Essex Road.
In 1919 the library and museum were merged into one institution, and the collection moved into the new Carnegie Library, with a museum room opened there in 1921. The library was extended in 1937 to give the museum its present home. In 1956 the displays were completely redesigned to cover only the archaeology, history and natural history of north-west Kent.
The museum is run by Dartford Borough Council. It holds about 20,000 items, of which only a small share can be shown in the single gallery. Collections cover archaeology, geology, local history and natural history, and the Darenth Bowl, a 5th-century Saxon glass vessel, is the best-known object.
Highlights
- Cast of the 400,000-year-old Swanscombe Skull with original flint tools
- Reconstructed Roman kitchen
- Anglo-Saxon jewellery from the Riseley cemetery
- Kerr's Shop, a draper's shop with an overhead cash railway
- Display on the Dartford Warbler, first recorded near the town
Permanent exhibitions
- Story of Dartford gallery – Cases running anti-clockwise tell the story of the borough from the Stone Age through the Bronze Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norman and medieval periods, with the Swanscombe Skull cast among the highlights.
- Kerr's Shop – A reconstructed draper's shop from Dartford High Street, with the original counter, cabinet, cash register and overhead cash railway.
- Dartford Warbler display – A display about the small bird first recorded near the town in 1773, one of only two British bird species named after a town.
- Founded
- 1907
- Operated by
- Dartford Borough Council
- Director
- Dr Mike Still (Curator)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free for residents and visitors.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Schools can book talks on weekday mornings except Wednesdays, for one class of up to 35 pupils at a time. A free school loans service lends objects to teachers. Visitors can bring objects in for identification, but staff cannot give valuations. Stored collections can be viewed by appointment with the curator. |
