A POWYS museum says it has been forced to shut with immediate effect due to leaks.

Operators of Knighton Museum say its water issues have forced it to close the doors at the Broad Street museum for at least the next six months.

“We're sad to say that due to ongoing problems with leaks we are closing the museum until April 2025,” Knighton Museum announced on its Facebook page on Thursday.

Barry Samuels, reacting to the news, called it “a great shame”.

An upcoming talk on the ‘Anglo Saxons and life on the Welsh border’, by Chris Franklin, to be held on October 6 at 2pm, will go ahead and be taking place at Knighton’s Offa’s Dyke Centre.

The museum opened in 2017, on the site of one of the town’s most famous 20th century shops, Clee & Sons, which was Knighton’s first department store.

READ MORE

The museum reflects the social history of the area. Most exhibits have been either donated or lent by local people and illustrate the varied history of the Powys border town, from the drovers to the flannel weavers, from trade to agriculture.

The museum’s exhibits include a kitchen and scullery at the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and elements of late-Victorian to early-Elizabeth II school rooms. The star attraction is what is possibly the oldest fire appliance in the UK – a hand drawn, hand-pumped fire engine of the Georgian era.

Many of the exhibits can be handled by visitors, making the whole experience both child-friendly and memory-provoking for adults.

The museum is a registered charity, run by volunteers, and funded by donations, with entry completely free.

Its trustees and volunteers are drawn from Knighton Town Council, Powys County Council and members of the public who have an interest in history, archaeology, re-enactment, agriculture and education.