Llangollen museum
Llangollen Museum, Parade Street
This little museum is like Dr Who’s Tardis. It looks small from the outside, but inside it houses many exhibits and archive materials. Admission is free.
The museum’s centerpiece is an exact replica of Eliseg’s Pillar. The original stands near Valle Crucis Abbey, a short distance outside Llangollen. Eliseg was king of Powys in the 8th century and, by beating the English, saved the inheritance of Powys. He ruled Powys when Offa, king of Mercia, had the dyke which bears his name constructed along the Wales-England border.
Eliseg’s great grandson Cyngen erected a memorial cross to Eliseg while ruling Powys from 808 to 854. The cross was knocked down in the upheaval of the Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and his followers regarded old monuments of this kind as symbols of superstition and idolatry. The inscription, now eroded away, was recorded in 1696. The mound on which the pillar stands was opened in 1779. Inside was the brittle skeleton of a man with a gilded skull.
Llangollen Museum was established by volunteers in 2002 and moved into its present building, formerly a library, in 2004. Its archives include thousands maps, old documents and thousands of photos of the locality. The museum also has a children’s section and offers a research service for people who wish to discover more about their local family history or the story of their houses in the area.
Postcode: LL20 8PW