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PRESS INFORMATION: HISTORIC RAILWAY DOCUMENTS SAVED |
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Issue Date: 25 June 2002 Ref: MKM02/03 Milton Keynes Museum has purchased a number of historic documents related to a Victorian railway that was planned between Wolverton and Bedford but never completed. The unique papers are believed to have come from a local solicitors and were purchased by the museum recently at an auction in Bedford. “Wolverton obviously has strong connections with the railway and it is important that these important documents are saved for the local community,” says Bill Griffiths, Museum Director. “We will now be able to add them to our archive, put them on display and make the information they contain available to people interested in local and railway history.” The Wolverton to Bedford Railway was originally planned in the 1840s. It would have linked the mainline at Wolverton with the ancient town of Bedford and was promoted by a number of local businessmen with interests in the brickmaking industry. The railway was never completed although the section between Wolverton and Newport Pagnell was built. This closed some years ago but the route can still be traced because it now forms part of the extensive network of “redway” cycle paths in Milton Keynes.
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The papers secured by the Museum include a number of hand-drawn maps showing the proposed route and the farm land it would have crossed. These were important at the time because they helped the railway company to plan its route and negotiate purchases with local land owners. Today they are a unique snapshot of local life 160 years ago that reveals important information about the local communities that would have been affected by the railway. The papers also include a number of official documents, letters and notices concerning a public meeting to discuss the proposed railway and the formation of the railway company. There is also a document about the Grand Union canal that runs through the area. In due course the Museum plans to display the papers in its Hall of Transport and add information about them to its website. The Museum is always looking for similar items with a local connection which might otherwise be lost or unavailable to the public to copy or acquire to build up its archive of historic documents. It has facilities to copy and scan documents to create long term digital archives and create web pages that can be accessed by people from all around the world who are interested in the people and history of the Milton Keynes area. |
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Milton Keynes Museum preserves the history of Britain's newest city. The Museum is located at an authentic Victorian farm, built in the late 1840s on the outskirts of Wolverton, one of the UK's original "railway towns", and now part of Milton Keynes. Its large and constantly changing selection of displays have something for all the family. Collections include social, domestic, industrial and agricultural items with a connection to the area. The displays follow the history of the Milton Keynes area, including North Buckinghamshire and South Northamptonshire, from 1800 to the present day. During this period the area changed greatly, culminating in the decision in the 1960s to create the UK's last "new city" of Milton Keynes. For further press information please contact: |
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