Alderstead Council supports local museums, collections and heritage activity as part of its local cultural responsibilities. The aim is to help people understand Alderstead's history, preserve significant local material and take part in heritage activity.

Local heritage

Heritage work can include local history, interpretation, community projects, exhibitions and information about places, records, objects and traditions connected with Alderstead. Historical claims should be based on evidence, with significant interpretations distinguished from the underlying record.

Museums and collections

Museum and collection work concerns objects and curated collections. Archive services deal primarily with documentary records. The two services can work together, but they have different responsibilities for custody, cataloguing and public access.

Working with independent organisations

Some local heritage or museum activity may be run by community organisations or other independent bodies. Alderstead Council can support, coordinate or signpost that activity without taking ownership of an organisation or collection that remains independent.

Explore local heritage

See Local heritage for heritage activity and Museums and collections for information about museum material and collections.

Local heritage

Local heritage is the history, places, records, objects and traditions that help explain Alderstead and its communities.

Taking part

The council may support heritage interpretation, public information, local projects and collaboration with community organisations. Heritage activity should distinguish documented history from interpretation and should identify the source of significant historical claims where appropriate.

Museums and collections

Museum and collection activity preserves and interprets objects and other material connected with Alderstead's local history and civic life.

Access and interpretation

Information about a collection should explain what it contains, how it can be accessed and who is responsible for it. Where an independent organisation owns or operates a collection, the council should make that distinction clear.