Tetbury Police Museum & Courtroom

About

Discover the history of crime and detection in Gloucestershire.
OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10AM-3PM
FREE ADMISSION

Story

In 1969 the Tetbury Magistrates Court was moved to Cirencester and the police took over a new building in the London Road. Tetbury Town Council then purchased the Victorian police station and courtroom in Long Street.

The former police sergeant’s living quarters currently house the Town Administration offices whilst original police office and cells contain interesting police exhibits and also the world-renowned Alex Nichols Collection of Restraint Equipment.

The exhibition is mainly dedicated to the history of the Gloucestershire Constabulary, founded in 1839 despite a petition raised by the people of Compton Greenfield against the necessity of forming a police force in Gloucestershire at all! There is a copy of this petition in the museum and a photo of Gloucestershire#s first chief constable Mr. Anthony Thomas Lefroy.

A number of interesting displays of photographs and equipment show the history of policing. Our resident sergeant is always on duty in the station watching over the prisoners, local troublemakers and the public as he has done for over a hundred years.
'Fred', one of our prisoners, sleeps it off in one of the cells and should not be woken, as he is known to become violent if disturbed. Considering the cells were only for 'short stay' prisoners they are extremely secure, in the past careless visitors have been known to lock themselves in!

In the first floor courtroom there is a complete magistrates court with a display using models and depicting hearing, as it would have been in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

The Alex Nichols Collection of Restraint Equipment was until recently housed at the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham. It was moved to Tetbury Police Museum in 2007. The collection consists of the different restrain equipment used by the police from different countries around the world. Alex Nichols will be giving various demonstrations if you would like further information or to book a group visit with Alex please contact the curator.