Museum opens up for summer season
ONE of Loughborough’s oldest buildings is opening its doors for the summer to unveil its latest exhibition.
The Old Rectory Museum in Rectory Place, Loughborough, dates back to the 13th Century and opened its doors for the first time for the summer on Saturday, April 22, to showcase the museum’s latest exhibition - ‘Defying Cromwell’.
The exhibition has been put together by Dr Martyn Bennett from Nottingham Trent Uni- versity and gives an insight into the involvement of Loughborough in the Civil War from 1642-1646.
The museum is set within the walls of a building which can be dated all the way back to 1228 when it was donated to All Saints Church by the Courtlinstoke Family.
It is set in the Medieval centre of Loughborough and the building represents 800 years of the town’s heritage.
It was the home of the rectors of All Saints Parish Church for most of its life and according to the Loughborough Archeological and Historical Society it represents one of the oldest rectories in the country.
The building was rescued when what seemed to be an 18th and early 19th Century house was being demolished in the 1960s.
When the last rector, Archdeacon Lyon retired, the building’s centuries old function as a rectory ceased.
In 1958 the old rectory and two thirds of its grounds were purchased as a site for old people’s dwellings and for some time its fate hung in the balance.
Between 1958 and 1961 members of the Loughborough and District Archaeological Society decided to make a record of the building and compiled photographs and drawings of the former rectory.
From this it was possible to piece together the greater part of the Medieval plan that lay hidden behind the later alterations and the interest generated locally and nationally by this work resulted in total demolition being avoided.
In the autumn of 1962 all but the Medieval core was demolished and the former extent of the building can be studied on the plan in the Old Rectory Museum.
Between 1963 and 1967, restoration work was carried out to initial outlines provided by the Loughborough Archaeological Society - which along with the Historical Society has run the museum ever since.
The Old Rectory Museum is open from April until October from 10am until 3pm every Saturday and the museum volunteers have encouraged anyone who would like any more information to call 01509 733858.