The Story of Drayton

WHAT WE ARE....




We call it “The Story of Drayton”, because that’s exactly what it is.




It’s all about the Town. Everything in the Collection was donated by the people of Market Drayton, used by them, and often manufactured by them. So the families, lifestyle, events, and stories emerge from all these bits and pieces.... more than 10,000 of them, collected over the course of nearly thirty years.




In the Shop we sell the Town - a potted history in five quick chapters, from earliest times to the present. There’s also the odd diversion and digression.




In the House behind we show off our home.... with the trophies on the mantelpiece, china in the dresser, medicine in the bathroom, and so on in kitchen, yard and shed. Here, as you can imagine, the past often rubs shoulders with the present.




The things you can see range from a prehistoric plant stem to a hand-pulled hearse, a bottle collection, horse-drawn seed drill, and Victorian mangles.




And you’ll find stories ranging from Clive of India’s Pies to Gingerbread Secrets, the WC War, and Death at the Theatre.... not to mention Arthur Phillips’ vertical take-off aircraft of 1908.






WHEN AND WHERE AND WHO....




At present we’re open all day Wednesday (10.00-16.00), Saturday morning (10.00-13.00), and Sunday afternoon (14.00-17.00), and admission is free. If you can’t make these times, give us a ring, and we’ll see what we can do. Our season is normally from April to October.




When we're open phone 07763 492906 - otherwise 01630 657455




From the far side of the Town Square walk 150 metres up Shropshire Street, and on the left, at No 53, you’ll find our museum.




It’s in a shop, a 17th Century listed building, which we refurbished from derelict and brought back to life... with major help from Advantage West Midlands and the Heritage Lottery Fund, together with a number of local donors, and many volunteers.




Our staff are all volunteers, who love the town as much as we hope you will, and will enjoy listening to your stories as well. Admission is free and we run the whole thing on the basis of voluntary donations.




We look forward to giving you a warm welcome, and helping you share the past (and present) of this, the largest and most important market town in the area