Armoury Trust celebrates successful first year

* The Armoury Conservation Trust is celebrating a successful first year of operation.

Llangollen's Armoury Conservation Trust is celebrating its first year of work, which it says has been both very busy and successful.

 

Since April 2014, highlights have been:

 

* Becoming registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and taking over freehold ownership of  the Armoury on Victoria Square

 

* Receiving planning and Listed Building consents for the restoration of The Armoury and restoring the Lock-up and Courtroom/Old Town Hall for community uses

 

* Hosting three open days, in July and September, and attracting 238 visitors. Also starting regular opening hours for tours of the Lock-up and giving group visits and talks to the county librarians and Llangollen Rotary Club

 

* Creating, with the help of Llangollen Town Council, a hands-on exhibition of Llangollen's first police station, complete with police hats and helmet, coshes, rattles, lamps and handcuffs, and with a prisoner in the cell, who was committed in 1860 to spend six nights in the Lock-Up before going before the Justices

* Creating various artworks - a time-line wall chart, trompe d'oeuil court scene, Victorian policemen, scenes and puzzles from the history of the Lock-up, to aid the public's understanding of the past uses and history of the building

 

* Developing Dress the Victorian Policeman packs for children to take home with them after a visit to the Lock-Up, with the support of Llangollen Town Council

 

* Consulting widely with the community about plans to restore the building and its community uses for education, heritage, arts and culture, and receiving much local support for fundraising efforts

 

* Continuing to carry out research on the building and its past uses for its archive, with the help of research by volunteers and Llangollen Museum

 

* Being in the process of setting up a website.

A spokesperson said: "The Armoury Conservation Trust is very grateful for all the support and help it has received over its first year from the Llangollen community and to llanblogger for helping us communicate with its many readers."