The Fire Museum is based in a purpose built building at Watford Fire Station on Lower High Street (behind Tesco’s and virtually opposite Watford Museum).
Two ex-fire officers, Roger Middleton and Ian Strudwick, look after the following:
- An 1850s manual hand pump from Barley near Royston
- A 1960s 50ft steel Merryweather escape, carried on the 1984 Dennis Water Tender Escape fire applicance based at Watford until 1994
- An 1863 manual hand pump from the Tring Park Estate
- An 1896 Shand-Mason horse-drawn steam fire pump, ex-London Fire Brigade
- A 1900s hose cart, on loan from Watford Museum
- A 1937 Leyland open-bodied pump escape, based at St Albans until the 1960s
- A 1942 Dennis No.2 trailer pump, from Berkhamstead
- A Second World War Scammell wheelbarrow pump
There is also a substantial collection of various items of fire service equipment, uniform and documents (old and new), with a large and varied photographic display of fire appliances, fire/incident scenes and local fire history.
They are always on the lookout for Fire Brigade memorabilia that deserves a good home and is perhaps currently gathering dust in a shed or attic. They can be contacted by email: firemuseum@watfordmuseum.org.uk or by calling at the museum on Open Days.
The Fire Museum is open from 1 to 4pm on the following dates in 2019:
Saturday 3rd August
Saturday 21st September
There is no parking at the Fire Station, please use the adjacent retail car parks – remember the time limits!
Entry is free, but donations will be welcome. Take your cameras for those unique photos.