Castle Donington Museum

Castle Donington Museum Trust was founded in 1994 to provide and maintain a Local History Museum, reflecting the long and interesting history of this community overlooking the River Trent, which brought, in their turn, Saxons, Romans, Vikings and Normans to the heart of England.

In 2001 we staged our first exhibition in the Stone House, a grade two listed building and each year we mount a new exhibition, illustrating some aspect of the life of Castle Donington and its inhabitants over the centuries.

We are an accredited museum, run entirely by a group of volunteers and we have won a number of regional awards for our exhibitions, other projects and events which we run throughout the year.

Grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other sponsors have enabled us to create a good working environment with the conditions necessary for the proper care of the museum's growing collection.

This Year's Exhibition - The Great War

This exhibition attempts to show the effect of the Great War from 1914 to 1918 on the communities of Castle Donington, Hemington and Lockington. We have concentrated on the stories of the 90 men who died during the war or shortly after the war from causes attributed to the war. They all had a connection with Castle Donington and Hemington-cum-Lockington, either being born here or living here. Most of their names are on the war memorials in Castle Donington and Hemington. Space restricts what can be put onto the wall boards, but more information is available in the book due to be published in August and in folders of Battalion War Diaries kept in the museum. 

Other changes to Castle Donington came about when  Donington Hall was used as a Prisoner of War camp, a Voluntary Aid Detachment hospital was established at Cavendish Bridge and the basket makers of the local area were employed on War Office contracts to make shell baskets.

Our men, like others throughout the country, were quick to volunteer, fought in all theatres of war, travelled to countries they never expected to see and many died in defence of their country.

They experienced unimaginable conditions in the war to end all wars'. Local basket makers on War Office contracts made wicker shell baskets to protect ammunition in transit and others worked at the ammunition factory in Chilwell.  Donington Hall became a German Prisoner of War camp, holding the dubious honour of being the only camp from which a prisoner escaped to reach home in Germany.