Collection: Much Hadham Forge Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  A complex of Grade 2* listed buildings, including a working blacksmith’s forge and contents, were donated to the HBPT by Jean Page, through a Deed of Gift made in 1988. A small museum to display the tools and metal collection was opened in 1991.

  Following the death of Jean Page in December 1999, some of the contents of Forge House, including objects relating to the Page family and the history of Much Hadham, were purchased for the collection from auction.

  In 2009 the museum completed an HLF funded expansion throughout Forge House and the build of a temporary exhibition space. Since then, the collection of local history material has increased through donations and acquisitions.

  Local metal detecting finds and the occasional Treasure are acquired where possible for the collection.

  During the past 15 years, the museum has received several small archaeological archives relating to property development in The Hadhams. We have notification of new deposits to be made and can only expect this to continue as the Village Neighbourhood Plan is adopted and implemented.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The bulk of the collection (around 7,000 items) is made up of objects relating to the blacksmith’s forge, operating on site since at least 1811. These include the tools used and the objects made or repaired. The best of the collection has been cleaned and displayed; the remainder is now stored in a 19th Century Granary building, located in the museum garden.

  Much of this material had previously been stored off-site in a farmer’s barn. When returned to the museum c.2003, the material was in poor condition and poorly labelled, with accessioned and unaccessioned objects mixed. Given the nature of the collection and the rusty condition, it is a slow and on-going process to clean, identify and seperate this material.

  The museum has several boxes of Roman Hadham-Ware pottery fragments, collected during field-walking surveys. This material was cleaned and sorted in a project with the local scouts and is retained for handling use only. Hadham-Ware is abundant in the local area and examples will not be accessioned into the collection unless near / complete or remarkable in some way (markings, ware-type etc.)

  The local history collection is made up of objects and ephemera relating to local trades, buildings, clubs/ societies and individuals. It includes photographs, postcards, documents and works of art. Of note are two photograph albums featuring Hadham’s Rosebuds, the World’s first Brownies.

  The Hadhams is an area rich with metal-detectorists. The museum has been donated / purchased small collections of finds since 2005. These include Treasure finds, of which several more await valuations at The British Museum.

  An important Heritage Asset at the museum are its Grade 2* Listed Buildings and the small room of Nationally important wall paintings in situ, c.1576. They are not accessioned as objects into the collection as they make up part of the fabric of the building.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC