For Local and Community History Month our volunteer researcher Paul Parkin has been delving into the history of Dalby House, the site of the museum, and the people who lived here.  The Agard Family, 1783–1806 The first family (on record) that lived here was the Agard family. In 1783 Mary Agard (nee Bourne) inherited the “copyhold” for the house. At that time the building was not yet known as Dalby House. Copyhold is an ancient form of land tenure in which the property is held “at the will of the Lord according to the custom of the manor”. The Lord...

  A ring is one of the major tokens of love - given at engagements, weddings or just as a gift - and has been regarded so for centuries. From the medieval era onwards special rings called posy rings were given to lovers and sometimes friends to express affection. They remained popular in England and France until the 17th century. They are usually engraved with a message of love inside a golden, or gilt,  band. The name posy (or posey) is from the word for poetry, or in French poésie. These messages are carved on the inside and remained concealed...

This moulded wall plaque (number 2012.47) is a depiction of Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' and was donated to Erewash Museum in 2011. The plaque was produced at Stanton Ironworks and is believed to have been made as part of an apprenticeship. It recently featured on an episode of ITV's 'Dickenson's Real Deal' when Museum Manager Nicola Wood took an assortment of Stanton Ironworks related objects along to the show and spoke about the importance of the role the Ironworks has in the heritage of the local area. It is known that a number of similar wall plaques depicting 'The...

On Saturday October 18th we celebrated Ilkeston's 762 Charter Fair with our very own Charter Fair Event. The day was a great success and we had over 1500 visitors to the Museum. The Gavioli Organ created a great atmosphere in the car park with fairground music and the steam engine was as popular as ever with crowds assembled along High Street to see it leave the Museum at the end of the day. The Ilkeston Fair Association was also in attendance with fantastic displays and objects to tell the history of Ilkeston Fair. A brief history of Ilkeston Charter Fair Henry III...

Long Eaton Roll of Honour In honour of Remembrance this year we are reissuing our blog linking to the Long Eaton Roll of Honour. This brilliant resource is put up here in simple form with the kind permission of Peter Fox and Keith Reedman.  This is a list of the men and women from Long Eaton and District who served in the armed forces during World War One. It was created from various lists, letters and obituaries published in the Long Eaton Advertiser and the names on the Long Eaton ‘Roll of Honour’. It has around 1,700 names but may not be...

This magnificent axe-head was discovered in West Park, Long Eaton in 1968. It dates to the Early Bronze Age period, approximately 2000 BC. An examination of the stone suggests that the axe was made somewhere near Nuneaton. The polished finish shows how skilled the maker must have been. A hole has been drilled at one end to allow a shaft of wood to be attached and used as a handle. The Bronze Age in Britain lasted from roughly 2500 BC to 700 BC and was a period of great change. The production and use of bronze tools and weapons increased dramatically...

In October we attended the Derbyshire Heritage Awards 2014 at Derby Museum and Art Gallery. It was a great night that was made even better when we were successful in two of the four categories we entered! We came highly commended in the 'Inspiration' category for the new War Gallery and First World War Centenary Event. We're very pleased with how the War Gallery has turned out and we've received some very positive feedback from visitors. The Centenary event was a great success and something we felt was essential in this anniversary year. We began the project at the start of...

In July 2014 we were delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £503,600 by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The funding will be used to completely renovate the stable block. The ground floor will include an interactive exhibition space detailing what life was like in the 19th century at Dalby House through the sights, smells and sounds of a Victorian stable. Next door to the exhibition will be a Victorian themed café where visitors to the museum can enjoy refreshments and learn about Victorian food and diet. The first floor will be a brand new learning and community...