Clun Town Museum

Welcome to the CLUN TOWN Museum and Town Hall Homepage. Here you will find everything about our Museum. You will find information about the many interesting objects we hold to how to visit us. You will also find information about how to contact us.

The Museum

The ground floor, which now houses the Museum, was once an open jail where prisoners were chained before being taken away for trial. Later the ground floor arches were filled in and it became a market hall, but the cobbled floor still remains. Outside on the wall facing the Square, by the telephone box, hangs the coat of arms of the Earls of Powis - the elephant representing the coat of arms of Clive of India whose son married into the Powis family.

The Museum is run by the Clun Town Trust, registered with the Charities Commission on 16 May 1924 to "administer and manage . ... . . two silver maces, formerly belonging to the dissolved Corporation of the Bailiffs and Burgesses of the Borough of Clun, in the County of Salop". There are four trustees and those serving at present are: Mr Bill Rowe, Mr Kent Tomey, Mrs Joyce Williams and Mrs Jane Kent.

On 19th May 1935 the tenancy of the lower Town Hall was reported to have been approved and agreed. Mr Tom Hamar was the leading collector and custodian for the Museum and was joined on the Trust in 1951 by another avid collector, Mr Beardsley.

What you can see in the Museum

Clun Museum houses a multitude of local historical and agricultural artefacts and possesses an important collection of flints. The two silver maces of the Borough of Clun, dating back to Elizabethan times (1580 & 1620) together with the Seal (1637) are displayed on Bank Holidays.

The Museum opened the first floor of the Town Hall at Easter 2004, thus doubling their display area. Amongst other things this has enabled a new section devoted to the 2nd World War (1939-1945) to be mounted together with some artefacts from the 1st World War (1914-1918). Items formerly in store have been put on display and the ground floor exhibition rationalised. e.g. Did you know that a railway line was proposed from Craven Arms to Newcastle-on-Clun? Come and see the plans. Half of the floor area has been left free to accommodate visiting exhibitions and demonstrations.. The gallery is monitored from the ground by the voluntary Stewards (of whom there are now 45) through a CCTV system.

Facilities

We are fully equipped to welcome partially sighted and blind visitors, through the good offices of the Dog Rose Trust and South Shropshire District Council Access Group. There are two audio guides together with two large print and two Braille Guides to the Museum and an illuminated tactile map of Clun.

Admission

Admission is 50 pence for adults and free to those aged 16 years and under. School Parties, Historical and U3A Clubs have been and are welcomed by arrangement, and the Museum opened by request.

Opening Hours from Easter until 31st October:

Tuesdays: 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Saturdays: 11.00 am - 1.00 pm
2.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Bank Holiday Mondays and Tuesdays:
11.00 am - 1.00 pm
2.00 pm - 5.00 pm