New Look Historical Centre

After the recent elections at the Town Hall, staff of the Ashbourne Town Council Historical Centre based there, have used the time to create a 'new look' to their popular display. The history of the town is told and includes a historical timeline of Royal Shrovetide Football, its tradition, and its cultural effect on our community. We also have a new exhibit from the Meynell & South Staffordshire Hunt as well as some never-before artistic shots of the former Ashbourne Railway taken by local photographer Laurie Avery in the 1950s.

The Historical Centre has proven very popular, and 9,279 people called in to view the exhibits in 2022 alone; with the first quarter of 2023 already smashing set targets. Curator and Shrovetide ball artist Tim Baker states: "The first year of the Historical Centre has blown all my expectations out the water. The Shrovetide Football is very popular with visitors to the town and generates the most interest ,so we have capitalised on this with the help of the Shrovetide Committee who have been most generous with loans of artefacts."

Interchangeable exhibits lined up for the 2023 season are: Ashbourne Carnival & Highland Gatherings past, the proposed new Ashbourne County Secondary School that never happened, The Civil Wars in Ashbourne and to round of the season, Late Night Shopping 1985.

The Ashbourne Historical Centre is not just for visitors and would like to see more locals popping in to view the artefacts on display, Monday to Saturday 10am till 3pm, closed on Thursday & Sunday at Ashbourne Town Hall.