From 19th July 2021, all social distancing and wearing face coverings will be lifted by the government.
Covid19 has not gone away, and the Lowewood Museum Trust would like to keep visitors and volunteers as safe as possible, and we therefore ask for your support in the following ways:
Do not visit Lowewood Museum if you are experiencing Covid symptoms, or you have tested positive for Covid.
Please keep using our hand sanitisers, keep socially distanced and respect other people’s needs and wishes.
Please wear a face covering if you can, as the museum spaces are small and not ventilated. Although the legal requirement to wear a face covering in England ends on 19 July, the government expects and recommends that people continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces.
Please continue to log into NHS Track and Trace app when you visit the museum
Thank you for your continued support and we very much look forward to seeing you soon.
Come and join us for our Festival of Archaeology on Friday 30 July 2021, 10am-4pm. Meet members of East Herts Archaeology Society and Thames Mudlarker Monica with plenty of activities for all ages (and you can also visit our Tankards, Tales and Taverns exhibition)
After months of hard work and Covid restrictions, Lowewood Museum re-opened to the public on Saturday 17 July at 10am. Approximately 120 visitors came along to see the new Tankards, Tales and Taverns exhibition including the Mayor of Broxbourne, Cllr David Taylor and his wife as well as representatives from the Love Hoddesdon Business Improvement District board. The shop and cafe was busy and the team of volunteers did themselves proud in providing a welcoming smile and a helping hand. Below are some pictures from the opening day. Why not come and see the museum for yourself every Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4:30pm.
Mayor of Broxbourne – Cllr David Taylor opens the new exhibitionLowewood’s new exhibition – Tankards, Tales and TavernsMembers of the Broxbourne Arts Forum painted a pub during lockdownA range of delicacies in Lowewood’s tearoomVisitors to the Tankards, Tales and Taverns exhibitionDirectors of Love Hoddesdon BID attended along with their mascot Master Henry Hoddas.Some of the Lowewood Museum Trust board with the Mayor of BroxbourneChair of the Lowewood Museum Trust, David Dent welcomes the MayorThe Friends of Lowewood display cabinet
Lowewood Museum will be opening its doors once again on Saturday 17th July. The museum has been closed for over a year, but work has been going on behind the scenes since the new Lowewood Museum Trust CIO was formed, securing the future of this wonderful resource for the Borough and beyond.
The small team has recently been recruiting volunteers to help welcome visitors and work with the museum’s collections of over 40,000 items. There is still much to do and many returning visitors won’t see too many changes to the first floor displays but David Dent, the Chair of Trustees says:
“As a fledgling trust here at the museum, it’s been a steep but enjoyable learning curve for us all, and there is still much to do, but bear with us as we have lots planned over the coming years to appeal to our residents across the borough. We are all incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received over the past year, and now it’s coming to fruition. We are all looking forward to seeing you at the museum again.”
The museum will once again be offering teas and coffees in its ground floor area, along with space to sit out in the rear garden area of the museum. Another thing to quench visitor’s thirst is a brand-new exhibition on the ground floor of the museum, entitled ‘Tankards, Tales and Taverns’ where visitors can discover more about local pubs past and present. The museum has thousands of photographs in the collection and some of these feature pubs, alehouses and inns dating as far back as 1900. A selection of these will feature in the exhibition, along with paintings (some of which are for sale) of pubs created by members of the Broxbourne Arts Forum (BArts). Lee Rayner, Director of Programming for BArts commented,
“During lockdowns and restrictions, many local artists and groups have been able to continue their activities which has been part of their ‘survival’ strategy. Our ‘Paint A Pub’ mini project has been a particularly pleasant diversion, focusing on something outdoors, but tantalising if the pub has been closed! The pictures will be interesting to compare with old images held by Lowewood Museum.”
On display will be a small selection of pub and brewery related items from the museum stores and not normally on show at the museum, as well as few pieces kindly borrowed from McMullen’s.
For visitors who haven’t had the chance to see the nationally significant Tudor wall paintings at The Star pub on Hoddesdon’s High Street, there’s a chance to find out more about these discoveries that were found during renovation work in 2014 after being hidden away for hundreds of years. A great introduction to these amazing historic gems before you go and have a proper look in the pub itself, which is half a mile away! Wetherspoon have given a donation to help fund this part of the display which is much appreciated.
Children and adults alike can take part in our ‘design a pub sign’ or sit and colour in pub signs inspired by local pubs and designed by local artist and museum volunteer Suse Nielebock.
Opening Saturday 17th July
And open Fridays and Saturdays, 10am – 4.30pm thereafter
Ahead of the museum’s re-opening on 17 July and the next exhibition Tankards, Tales and Taverns focusing on the Borough’s pubs, inns, alehouses and breweries, here are some images of pubs from the Borough that you may remember:
Waltham Cross Four Swans HotelBull Hotel c1950sThe Victoria Public House c1970sHoddesdon Rye House Tavern c1973
Lowewood Museum 