In the centre of Newport Pagnell is Silver Street. The Newport Pagnell Historical Society headquarters and museum is just after the Bury Street junction, as you walk down Silver Street from St. John Street.Walking down, you will come to a narrow alleyway on your right called Chandos Court, which is between numbers 52 and 54. Down this alleyway you will come to Chandos Hall to your right. On the outside of the building is a plaque, which explains that this former chapel became the local Oddfellows Friendly Society branch meeting place and headquarters. The branch built the houses in the court. The Oddfellows Society granted permission for the newly-formed Newport Pagnell Historical Society to acquire Chandos Hall as its headquarters and museum.
Once the Historical Society took over the building it was soon obvious, that restoration was needed and that this was a priority. Over the years the stairs to the upper floor were replaced. the upper floor was extended to provide more room for exhibiting, an office was set up and this has doubled as a store for Society artefacts and documents, a kitchen was installed and also a toilet and outside store room. The Society has also invested in a variety of display cabinets.
Chandos Hall has over the years been used for Society members' meetings, but now all indoor meetings take place at the United Reformed Church in the High Street. The Hall now is only used for regularly-changed Society exhibitions and small-group meetings.
Nowadays the role of the Museum is to store and preserve the items given or donated to it; and to put on exhibitions of these items, using themes relevant to the history and heritage of Newport Pagnell.
The Museum has in the past put on exhibitions on the following themes:
Newport Pagnell's railway, Rennie Lodge, local sports and leisure, Newport at war and the history of the town's car industry, including the Aston Martin factory.
Recently the committee have been drastically overhauling the Society's collection of artefacts and documents and you will find information about the collection on this site.
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