News Placement at Headstone Manor – April 2025

By Keir (Work Experience Student at Headstone Manor)

Over the course of six weeks, I had the incredible opportunity to work at Headstone Manor & Museum, a fantastic and historic place with deep local roots. As someone passionate about history and a believer in the importance of heritage, this placement allowed me to immerse myself in the daily work of a museum and gain hands-on experience in both cataloguing and curating its fascinating collections.

From the first week, I was welcomed by a friendly and knowledgeable team, all deeply committed to preserving and sharing the rich local history. Headstone Manor itself is a remarkable site steeped in centuries of history, and I spent much of the first day just walking around the site and taking it all in, seeing the evolution of the manor over the years and the influence of its different owners in different stages of English history.

Much of my time was spent cataloguing items in the museum’s collection. This involved detailed documentation and data entry to a digital system in order to properly document the huge number of items. I primarily worked on the archaeological collections, with the timespan of said items ranging from the Roman era to the World Wars, showing Headstone Manor’s importance over many centuries. The items themselves were a large mix, such as coins, building materiel from the manor itself, pottery, and my personal favourite item, a 19th century bayonet, pictured.

In the third week, I also had the chance of working in the new archive room to help store returning items, some of which were very old. This experience was also a good one for me as whilst in many ways it involved similar things to the collections cataloguing, it is also something different yet equally important and essential for heritage and preservation, especially on a local level.

Beyond the technical skills, I gained a deeper understanding of museum ethics, the challenges of conservation, and the ongoing efforts to make collections accessible and relevant to the local community. I was also fortunate to observe from afar how exhibitions are planned, how educational outreach is developed, and how the museum continues to adapt with new exhibitions highlighting the local area.

Perhaps the most valuable part of my time at Headstone Manor & Museum was the insight into the collaborative nature of museum work. From curators and conservators to volunteers and front-of-house staff, everyone plays a vital role in keeping the museum running smoothly and making history come alive for visitors.

After six weeks of delving into the collections and the archive and learning by osmosis many important aspects of museum work, I feel I left with not only new skills and experience but also a renewed enthusiasm and love for history as well as the importance of heritage and conservation. Headstone Manor & Museum has been an inspiring place to learn, and I’m incredibly grateful for the support, guidance, and trust the team placed in me as they let me loose inside the collections stores. I am glad to have contributed, even in a small way, to Headstone Manor & Museum’s ongoing role in the community and as a conserver of history.