Daventry Museum

About the museum

Daventry Museum grew out of earlier civic collections. After local government reorganisation in 1972, the Charter Trustees kept the town's charters and civic regalia on display, and from 1987 a district council museum in the Moot Hall showed wider local history. That museum closed for budget reasons in 2004 and its collection went into storage.

Daventry Town Council was formed in 2003 and opened an archive room at Bishop Crewe House in 2004, which became the Daventry Town Council Museum in 2006. In April 2010 the museum moved to its present home at 3 New Street. It gained Arts Council England accreditation that September and took the name Daventry Museum in 2013.

The museum is still run by Daventry Town Council, with considerable help from volunteers, and has had a volunteer curator since 2013. It closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in May 2021. The collection includes town charters, the seal of the Prior of Daventry, objects from everyday life on Daventry High Street, material from the BBC's Borough Hill radio station, and archaeological finds from Borough Hill, among them a large fragment of a Roman mosaic. Items that are not on display can be viewed on request.

Highlights

• Town charters and civic history
• Seal of the Prior of Daventry
• Material from the BBC radio station on Borough Hill
• Roman mosaic fragment and other finds from Borough Hill
• Free admission, with changing displays between exhibitions

Permanent exhibition

• Daventry timeline – A permanent timeline of Daventry in the museum corridor, bringing some of the museum’s treasured objects to life.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Daventry Town Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• 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 front entrance has three steps. Level access is at the rear of the building, reached from Market Square along Church Walk; visitors ring the bell to be let in. The building is historic. A unisex toilet with disabled access and baby changing is available. Free Sensory Bags with ear defenders, fidget toys, a magnifying glass and other items can be borrowed from reception, and can be reserved by phone on busy event days. The website offers contrast and text-size options.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Sensory Bags can be borrowed free of charge. A unisex toilet has baby changing facilities.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the ground floor of the Town Council Offices at 3 New Street. The level rear entrance is reached from Market Square via Church Walk.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available

There are no eating or drinking facilities and food and drink may not be taken into the museum; the town centre has places for a snack.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit