The Old Bell Museum

About the museum

The Old Bell Museum occupies a half-timbered building from the sixteenth century in the medieval centre of Montgomery. Over the years the house served as a butcher's shop, a pub known as the Old Bell and later a temperance hotel. In 1981 the Montgomery Civic Society converted it into a museum, and the society still owns the building. The museum is run by a dedicated group of volunteers and gained Accredited Museum status in 2009.

The displays fill eleven rooms and tell the social and civic history of the small border town. Montgomery Life shows objects from shops, homes and people of the town over the last 200 years. Other rooms are devoted to Hen Domen, the first castle in Montgomery, which was founded after the Norman Conquest by Roger de Montgomery and is among the best understood castles of its period thanks to excavations between the 1960s and 1980s. A further display shows finds from the later stone castle built for Henry III after 1223.

The museum also covers the Battle of Montgomery of 18 September 1644, one of the largest conflicts fought on Welsh soil, with pieces of armour recovered from the castle well. Its railway display explains the town's rail heritage, including the Abermule disaster of 1921. A small archive of documents, photographs and maps and a store of excavated finds can be consulted on request.

Highlights

• Half-timbered sixteenth-century building, formerly an inn and temperance hotel
• Eleven rooms of displays on the history of Montgomery
• Hen Domen and Montgomery Castle exhibitions with excavated finds
• Armour from the castle well and the story of the 1644 Battle of Montgomery
• Railways room including the 1921 Abermule disaster

Permanent exhibitions

• Montgomery Life – Objects collected from shops, houses and people of the town that show how residents lived, worked and learned over the past 200 years.
• Hen Domen – The story of the first Norman castle in Montgomery, one of the best understood castles of its time because of long-running excavations.
• Montgomery Castle – Material recovered during excavation and consolidation work at the castle built by Henry III from 1223, carried out in the 1980s and 1990s.

Founded

1981

Operated by

Montgomery Civic Society

Admission & discounts

Cash payments only. Entry is free for members of Montgomery Civic Society and for children of Montgomery School. Prices are those published for the 2025 season.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is in an old building with uneven surfaces. There are high steps up to the ground floor and the upper floor can only be reached by a flight of stairs. Seats are placed in the rooms and outside the entrance. Assistance dogs and well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome, and a water bowl is provided at the front. A steward trained in dementia awareness can introduce the museum if you ask beforehand. There are no toilets in the museum; public toilets in the Town Hall, about 50 metres away, include an accessible toilet and baby changing facilities.

Kids & families

Children under 16 pay a reduced admission price. No dedicated family programme is published.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Arthur Street, about 50 metres from the main town square.

Amenities & dining

There are no toilets in the museum; public toilets are in the Town Hall about 50 metres away.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit