Southam Heritage Collection

We are a group of devoted volunteers, looking after the Cardall Collection. Our Mission is to save Southam’s heritage!

Southam’s Cardall Collection comprises artifacts, documents, photographs and memorabilia associated with Southam and its surrounding villages.

The Cardall Collection was originally built up by Southam resident Jack Cardall in the mid twentieth century. An aspiring journalist and businessman, Cardall had a great interest in the history of Southam, producing pamphlets about local history around the time of the Second World War.

Local residents also donated objects, archives and photographs that related to the local area.

Cardall’s wife Rene continued to maintain and display the collection in her home until her death in 2006, when the collection was moved to another nearby building, which had once served as the recruitment office.

Continued donations

Local residents and organisations continue to donate relevant material and the committee hope that they will soon be able to find a permanent home in Southam where it can be displayed, used and appreciated by the general public, local history societies, schools, reminiscence groups and researchers.

The County Museum Service inspectors agree that it is an important record of the life and times of our historic market town.

The Friends group is open to anyone with an interest in preserving this unique collection for the benefit of the Southam community.