Llanidloes Museum

Llanidloes Museum of Local History and Industry was established in 1930 within the town's old Market Hall, a Grade I listed, timber building and the only example surviving on its original site in Wales. In 1993 it was decided to separate the museum collections from their venue in order to preserve the building itself and to meet required standards of collection care, access and interpretation for the artefacts. In 1995 the museum reopened in a new site within the ground floor of the Town Hall

The Local History Gallery depicts the development of Llanidloes during the last three centuries. Topics include the history of the Old Market Hall, civic events in the town as well as both World Wars; there are displays on the mining and woollen industries, the building of the railway and the importance of religion and non-conformism; much attention is paid to the Chartist movement, and the 'riots' of 1839. But Llanidloes of today is not forgotten with displays of local trade and tourism.

The museum's Victorian Rooms are taken up by two different exhibitions. Household items are shown in two themed cases representing late Victorian rooms. The 'parlour' has period furniture such as settle, chairs and a cradle. While the kitchen, and laundry setting has a fireplace with a crane, fire irons and a kettle tilter with kettle. Placed on shelves are sugar cutters, wooden plates and bowls, a tea caddy, jelly moulds as well as butterprints and many other utensils.

The exhibition called If you go down to the woods . . . looks at the importance of trees and man's influence on the forests of Britain. This theme ties in with the Kite Information Point housed within the area which focuses on Hafren Forest and the wildlife living there. This display also shows how today nature can be studied without disturbing the wildlife and its habitat, in contrast to the Victorian shoot-to-study technique represented by the Museum's collection of stuffed animals.

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