We are a group of local history enthusiasts whose aims are to maintain a permanent home in Tithe Place for the thousands of items in Southam Heritage Collection and keep them accessible to the public.

Southam Heritage Collection contains approximately 10,000 important artefacts, documents, photographs and recordings relating to the history of Southam, its people, and the surrounding villages.  It is currently housed in the Community Rooms at Tithe Place.

Southam Heritage Collection incorporates The Cardall Collection started by the late Jack Cardall and enhanced by his widow Rene until her death in 2007.  It also comprises the Alan Griffin Photographic archive, the writings of Trevor Rogers, Jim Fitchett and others, extracts from Southam Library’s local history archives and many other significant donated items.  In addition there is a growing collection of oral history recordings made by local people.

The group originally known as the Friends of The Cardall Collection was established in 2006 with the primary aim of finding a permanent home for the Cardall Collection. Since then its role has expanded as the Collection itself has grown.

The Collection’s programme of exhibitions provides an interesting attraction for visitors to Southam and is also a valuable resource for people living in and researching the area.  It has a role in informing and inspiring educational and community institutions and it provides people of all generations with an opportunity to develop and exercise skills in support of their community.

The Collection belongs to the people of Southam and is managed by Trustees and a team of volunteers.  Their work is funded by donations, small grants, membership subscriptions, fundraising events and the sale of books and small items. This has helped them acquire equipment to support their community outreach work and to carry out conservation and documentation work.

Our motto is: “Preserving Southam’s past for the future” and we are a registered Charity (No 1173033). Membership of the group is open to anyone with an interest in the preservation of our local history, and costs £10 per annum. We also run a 200 Club – anyone can join, and tickets cost just £5 per annum, with a prize draw every month including two large draws.

Exhibitions, with free entry, are open on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings in Tithe Place from 10:00 am till noon and additional small displays are always visible in the atrium window and in the outside front window of Tithe Place.

For more information, please visit our website (www.southamheritage.org) or find us on Facebook – Southam Heritage Collection.  The website contains details of our exhibitions, talks, activities and how to get involved.  You can also download our latest Newsletters.

• Listing ID: 1127