Rescue is concerned to learn that Rugby Museum and Art Gallery has closed its archaeology and social history gallery, which are to be replaced with a Rugby Football “Hall of Fame”. Rescue appreciates the importance of sport, and the contribution of Rugby itself as the original home of the game, but we cannot agree that the closure of this gallery, which informs the population about a wide range of the archaeological discoveries and social history of the local area, can be appropriate or justified. There is undoubtedly more to the history of the town of Rugby than simply its role in the origins of Rugby Football, and it is critical that the local museum should reflect this and act to communicate this to visitors. There surely is a place to celebrate all aspects of the town’s past, but this closure denies this opportunity. It appears to have come at short notice with inadequate public consultation and raises important questions about the future of the existing archaeological collections and the fate of material recovered from excavations in the area.
Find out more: https://www.rugby.gov.uk/news/article/1247/hall_of_fame_works_to_start_museum_to_relocate
