Exploring Doncaster's hidden heritage with moving museum to be filled with visitors' treasures

Now as a roving museum takes to the streets of Doncaster, it is hoped the heritage it uncovers can reflect on the area’s present and past.

From a dented and battered old miner’s hat to a child’s drawing usually tacked to the fridge, every item the museum collects will reflect on what shapes community.

As it takes to the road, it hopes to fill with exhibitions from families and visitors, putting the power into people’s hands in deciding how history comes to be.

“History isn’t about what happened 100 years ago, as it’s happening every day,” said Victoria Ryves, programme manager for Heritage Doncaster which has launched the Moving Museum.

“We are not just looking for things that are super rare, or super valuable. It’s about objects that tell a good story. We are hoping people will add original histories, and fill in age-old gaps.

“History doesn’t have to live in the stories of great people, it could be the stories of you or me.”

The project from Doncaster Council’s Heritage Doncaster, under Arts Council England funding, launched this week with stops in the town’s districts and centre over coming days.

Described as “more magical mystery tour that Antiques Roadshow”, the roving museum aims to collect items with sentimental value that reflect a theme of Made in Doncaster.

This living history could be a favourite football, a miner’s lamp from a long closed coalfield, or a photograph of a newborn grandchild. For larger items the museum is encouraging people to submit images, share videos on digital screens, or stories through a wind-up audio booth.

“It’s a bit of an usual exhibition, that people may at first think of as a little bit empty,” said Ms Ryves. “The idea is that it fills as we go.

“The exciting thing is we have no idea what it will look like by the end. It’s a totally novel idea.

“The aim is to enable people to get up close and personal with objects on their doorsteps, to lift barriers and to showcase stories that might otherwise be less accessible.

“We want people to feel at home, which is why part of the museum is designed to look like a living room.”

Untold stories

The broader Heritage Doncaster project, looking to revisit the city’s past with fresh eyes, is uncovering a raft of tales through volunteer work, from the area’s witch hunts to its suffragette past.

There are in-depth explorations of the area’s untold stories, its black history, and mining tales from a women’s perspective.

“It’s infinitely fascinating,” said Ms Ryves. “I’m hoping, with the Moving Museum, we can discover new stories. And that in some of these stories, people will find a connection, to the past as well as to the stories of today.

“The strongest thing about Doncaster’s history is the story of its community, a passionate, vibrant community, with people at its heart.”

The Moving Museum will roam the Doncaster district until September 26, with stops planned at places including Mexborough, Stainforth, Thorne Woodlands, Balby, Hexthorpe and the town centre.

Described as a “trailblazing” project by the council, it is seeking submissions from communities that can reflect its history and redefine definitions of Doncaster’s modern heritage, from toys to ancestral photographs.

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