The Woodchurch Village Life Museum recently received a grant from the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) and the Pilgrim Trust for a professionally conducted audit of our collection by an accredited conservator. The audit assesses the extent to which items on display and in store are affected by various forms of deterioration—including damp, mould, pests, and light exposure—and recommends remedial action to prevent or minimise further damage. We were particularly concerned about some of the larger items in the Museum grounds that are completely exposed to the weather—the Aveling & Porter living van and the K6 telephone box immediately outside the Museum entrance, as well as Ken Chapman’s 1960s milk float near the main gate—along with the partially covered wagons, tractors and agricultural machinery in the open-fronted cart shed.

Peter Meehan of the Historic Metalwork Conservation Company based in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, carried out the audit and spent two days (10–11 February) painstakingly examining the collection in bitterly cold weather. The detailed report Peter produced highlighted the excellent work of our team of volunteers and made several recommendations for materials, techniques, and specialists to address objects requiring more challenging conservation and restoration.

Importantly, the audit will enable us to bid for additional grant funding for professional conservation work, ensuring the collection can be enjoyed by everyone for many more years to come. Our thanks to AIM and the Pilgrim Trust for generously awarding the Museum this grant.