This museum occupies an old blacksmith’s forge which had been unused since 1953. The collection was begun by Doreen Hodson-Smith, a local resident, but it had outgrown her home. The forge was seen as a suitable venue for a museum to house the collection, and after refurbishment it opened in 1991. The old forge and blacksmith’s bellows were retained and these remain a focal point. The museum illustrates Datchworth’s history with over 900 artefacts, and in 2009 the collection expanded to include the village telephone kiosk, still in situ on the Green.
Image via the museum.