Newark: Walks Of Life Heritage Centre on Lincoln Road, Tuxford, re-opens after being closed or several years

A museum has officially re-opened after being closed for several years, writes Cameron Rutherford.

Volunteers have been working to re-open the Walks Of Life Heritage Centre on Lincoln Road, Tuxford, previously known as the Walks Of Life Museum.

It was owned by Dorothy Harrison until her death in 2019.

In accordance with her wishes, the Dorothy Harrison Trust was set up to preserve her collection and open it back up to the public.

The museum opened in 1998 to showcase the extensive collection of hand carts, prams, invalid carriages and much more collected over 20 years by the eccentric collector.

Trust chairman Neville Stankley said: “How the collection came together is a happy accident. Dorothy was an avid attendee of auctions and having brought her first cart, got the habit and never looked back.

“Over the years she amassed one of the best collections of carts in any museum in the country, with all trades and occupations represented.

“She loved to give the public personal tours and kept it open for about 15 years until her health began to decline and she was unable to carry it on as a visitor attraction.

“I got to know Dorothy and her heritage centre not long before she closed it to the public, and during her later years I took out some of her hand carts and displayed them at shows and heritage open days for her as I knew she wanted the public to continue to see them even though she was unable to do that herself.

“So, a group of friends and associates got together to create a charitable trust to keep her collection together and open up the site again as Dorothy’s legacy.

“To say we are happy to soon be having the public back on the site is an understatement. It is a target that has driven us all, and, although it is a small step and there is a lot more work to be done, it gives us all a great sense of achievement.”

He said none of it would have been possible were it not for the collective effort of everyone involved.

“This organisation would not exist without the time and commitment of all the volunteers, from trustees to school and college students and everyone in between,” he said.

“It has been very difficult during the lockdowns as we could not have people working together on site. Much work has had to be done remotely other than essential maintenance, clearing and cleaning.

“We are more than just a collection of handcarts and agricultural equipment, we have a clear mission to be of benefit to all the residents of Tuxford and beyond.

“We have six acres of green space in the heart of Tuxford for residents to enjoy. As time goes on we want to develop nature trails and activities for families for their enjoyment, education, and well-being.

“I want us to be at the heart of community activities, supporting and welcoming everyone.

“Ultimately, we are an education charity, that is why we want to engage with schools and young people to learn about country crafts. We have lots of ideas for events, but would welcome suggestions about the sort of things we can do as we develop the site.”

An opening ceremony was Saturday, followed by the planting of trees by those who knew Dorothy in Tuxford’s new memorial wood.

The site will open to the public later in the summer after the covid restrictions are fully lifted.