March 30th - October 31st
Tuesday - Saturday
10.30 - 17.00
Last Admission 16.30
Groups and Schools by arrangement
Location
The museum entrance is in Newmarket Street in the centre of Usk town. Free parking is available in the Maryport Street car park which is situated at the rear of the museum.
The museum houses a unique collection of over 5000 artefacts from the smallest handtools and household items through to large agricutural machinery and vintage tractors.
The museum portrays rural life in Monmouthshire covering a period of approximately 100 years from 1850 - 1950. The collection is housed in a 16th century malt barn and an extensive collection of adjoining buildings.
Specialist collections include a Victorian cottage, a forge, carts, a cobbler, cheese making, WWII (including a bomb!), a stable, a hardware shop and many more.
We will be hosting an exhibition of the work of Henry Dunning who was a local Usk photographer during the period 1880 - 1920. The exhibition contains a selection of his images and works, including original glass plates, from the collection of Usk man Frank Smith (1911 - 1999), carpenter, fisherman and photography enthusiast.
The exhibition runs from Friday 28th June until Sunday 7th July (excluding Monday 1st July). Admission is free.
We have a light airy community room ideal for group meetings of up to thirty people. The room is fully equipped with audio visual presentation facilities including laptop and wi-fi access if required.
Seating can be arranged in boardroom or conference style. Refreshment facilities are available for your meeting and a light buffet can be provided on request.
The room is available throughout the day and evening all year round and visits to the museum can be arranged to complement your meeting if required.
For further details please email or telephone on 01291 673777
We have a large collection of old photographs, books and farm records which are available on request for the purposes of reference and research. In addition we have recently undertaken an oral history project to record the knowledge and recollections of some of the older residents of Monmouthshire. They provide a fascinating insight into rural life and the wartime activities of the LDV and Land Army.
Bessie is a full size model cow and provides our visitors with a "hands-on" milking experience. This forms part of our dairy timeline which demonstrates the full cycle of butter and milk product production. Bessie is a regular visitor to many local agricultural shows and events. A great favourite with young and old alike, come and see Bessie soon.
To hire Bessie for your event contact Rita at the museum.
The museum is a popular destination for pre-arranged visits of groups and schools. For schools, a number of hands on activities are available to bring to life times past including butter, bread and jam-making, The museum also includes many artefacts from the second world war and its impact on a rural community. A full risk assessement is available to assist you in the planning of your visit