After being forced to close its doors since the third national lockdown, North Hertfordshire Museum will finally reopen on Tuesday, May 18.

The museum - on Brand Street, Hitchin - celebrates the culture, heritage and environment of North Herts, using museum collections to tell the stories of the people who have lived and worked in the district.

Throughout lockdown, museum staff have been busy preparing for exhibitions ahead of the reopening.

Steve Crowley, North Hertfordshire District Council's service director, said: “We are very pleased we are able to reopen the museum again to the public and encourage everyone to come along and enjoy what it has to offer.”

The first exhibition to be hosted by the museum is Frozen In Time – Early Photographs of North Herts, which will run until June 27.

The Comet: North Herts Museum is featuring this photograph of a book stall at Hitchin train station in 1881 as part of their Frozen In Time – Early Photographs of North Herts exhibitionNorth Herts Museum is featuring this photograph of a book stall at Hitchin train station in 1881 as part of their Frozen In Time – Early Photographs of North Herts exhibition (Image: North Hertfordshire Museum)

The exhibition features a series of 48 photographs of North Herts in Victorian and Edwardian times from the museum’s collections, offering a snapshot into the daily lives of people who lived and worked there during those eras.

The Comet: Included as part of the Frozen In Time – Early Photographs of North Herts collection is a snap of the frontage of A Nicholls Fruiterer and Floristry on Hitchin High Street, taken in 1900. This photo was taken by T.W. LatchmoreIncluded as part of the Frozen In Time – Early Photographs of North Herts collection is a snap of the frontage of A Nicholls Fruiterer and Floristry on Hitchin High Street, taken in 1900. This photo was taken by T.W. Latchmore (Image: North Hertfordshire Museum)

Included as part of the collection are photographs of a book stall at Hitchin train station in 1881, as well as a snap of the frontage of A Nicholls Fruiterer and Floristry on Hitchin High Street, taken in 1900. This photo, taken by T.W. Latchmore, captures the now Grade II listed building, which is currently the home to the towns' Boots Opticians.

Families with young children will be delighted to hear that the next exhibition will be The Tiger Who Came to Tea, launching on July 7 – an exhibition celebrating the classic children’s book by Judith Kerr, and an opportunity to meet the tiger from the book and have tea with him!

COVID safety measures have been put in place at the museum to ensure visitor safety, including a one-way system around the site and hand sanitisers throughout the building.

The museum is free to visit and open from 10.30am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday 11am to 3pm. Refreshments and a gift shop are available.

For more information on the museum, visit northhertsmuseum.org or call 01462 474554.