Collection: Tenterden and District Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The current collection has evolved since 1976 primarily through donations. Items must have relevance and provenance to Tenterden and the surrounding district which in practice includes villages within a 6 mile radius of the town.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Subjects currently displayed:-

  • Medieval shipbuilding, Cinque Ports, the town’s Borough heritage and archaeological finds from the district.
  • Victorian memorabilia pertaining to the home and local trade and industry including shops, banks, the tannery, blacksmiths, brewery and Halden pottery industries. Local institutions such as schools, police, fire brigade, town & borough councils are also included.
  • Life in a typical mid-20th century home. Tenterden & District in the 20th century is also described using wallboards, interactive system information and through oral history.
  • The development of agriculture both on the nearby marsh and in the Weald together with the crafts and industries that supported them. Hops, hop picking and oasts are included as a feature of local heritage.
  • Architecture in Tenterden and district, including the Georgian theatre and our brewing heritage.
  • Items relating to clubs and societies including scouts, guides, Women’s Institutes and the Tenterden & District Motorcycle Club.
  • All of the items in our Reserve Collection, which are grouped by subject and displayed on shelves in cabinets in the Store Room.
  • Other items in the collection, though not on display include:
    • Maps, sale and deed documents which give an insight into the social history of the area.
    • Genealogy and family histories including those relating to many local families who were some of the first settlers in America.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC