History of our Collection of documents and artefacts

The Society's collection comprises selected documents and objects formerly in the Strong Room of Harpenden Hall, which were passed to to the Society when local government passed from the Harpenden Urban District Council to St Albans and District Council in 1974.  We have also received and continue to receive donations from Harpenden residents, entrusted to the Society to form part of a future Museum for Harpenden.

The collection has moved several times: from 19 Arden Grove (the cottage at the back of Harpenden Hall); to a portacabin in the Harpenden Hall car park; to storage scattered around Harpenden; and then to a small room at Park Hall, courtesy of Harpenden Town Council and to storage space at Sandridgegate, St Albans, courtesy of St Albans Museum service.

After many years of negotiating, on 24 November 2021 we signed a lease with St Albans City & District Council for the future Harpenden Museum in the newly opened Eric Morecambe Centre in Rothamsted Park. Finally, our archives and artefacts were moved to the Les Casey Archive Room of Harpenden Museum in 2023.

We are in the (long) process of indexing our collections of artefacts and archives so they can be used as source materials for displays in the Museum, for temporary exhibitions and for research, including for preparing pages on this website.

If you would like help in researching topics and in preparing pages to add to the site, please contact us via enquiries@harpenden-history.org.uk, to make and appointment for access to the Local History Centre.