Become a member of the Buckingham Heritage Trust (soon to be renamed Buckingham Old Gaol Trust), and not only do you receive free entry to the Old Gaol Museum all year, you get a range of other useful benefits and your membership fee supports the work of the Old Gaol!
Life membership now available
The Trust was formed as a registered charity in 1985 with the aims of acquiring, restoring and developing the Old Gaol as a museum for the town of Buckingham. The Trust acquired the building from Aylesbury Vale District Council and established the Museum, which opened in 1993.
Since 1993, the Trust has continued to expand and develop the Museum. The Heritage Lottery Fund helped with the achievement in 2000 of the construction of a contemporary glass roof over the original prisoners' exercise yard. The Flora Thompson Exhibit opened in 2007, followed by the entrance and exercise yard areas refurbishment in 2009. An English Heritage supported project (with generous support from members and the public) allowed for some urgent stone work repairs during the summer of 2010. In 2011 we organised and hosted with the Buckinghanshire Society of Architects the very popular 200th Anniversary Exhibition of local architect Sir George Gilbert Scott.
The Trust receives no government subsidy, all revenue coming from admission charges to the Museum, venue hire, donations, profits from the shop and specific project grants. We are delighted that Buckingham Town Council recently agreed a three-year grant which is helping with some necessary repairs and improvements to the building.
