The Museum

While the conservation of the crosses – led during the late 2010s by Cheltenham Civic Society member, Freddie Gick – had been made possible by a National Lottery Heritage grant of £9,800, the creation of their permanent exhibition was delayed by the Covid pandemic.

But in 2023, Cheltenham Borough Council identified a former gravedigger’s hut in the cemetery as the potential permanent home for the crosses.

Cheltenham Civic Society’s trustees, Steve Bryson and Sarah Harvey, began planning the exhibition and working with Civic Society member, Colin Smith, to raise funds. By the spring of 2024, we were able to start work on the building.

Damp proofing was the main priority, plus the need for some solar-powered lighting. A team of builders and decorators volunteered their time to undertake much of the work. By the summer of 2024, the building had dried out and been made ready for the crosses to be hung and the information panels to be installed.

On Friday 13^th September 2024, the museum was formally opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Edward Gillespie.

The finished museum is, we believe, the most significant collection of Great War grave-marker crosses in the country. It has been designed to create a simple but moving memorial that people can visit every day of the year.

It also represents one of Cheltenham Civic Society’s most outstanding achievements.

Civic Society member Freddie Gick sought the funding and led the project though the conservation stage.

The Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire opened the museum in September 2024.

Visit The Museum

The museum can be found in Cheltenham’s Bouncers Lane cemetery. It is free to visit and is open 365 days a year during the cemetery’s opening hours.

On entering the cemetery, you pass through two sets of wrought-iron gates. After the second set of gates you will see a silent soldier pointing the way. Further soldiers lead you to the car park where you will find the museum.

As the museum is unstaffed, please be sure to show proper respect to the exhibits and leave the museum how you found it. It is checked daily and opened and closed by the cemetery’s staff.

The map below highlights the route for cars in red, while pedestrians can take the slightly shorter, more direct route highlighted in yellow. (Beware that this also serves as a route for cars.)

For those visiting by car and using SatNavs, the postcode for the cemetery is: GL52 5JT.

For those coming by train, take a bus to the town centre and then the ‘A’ route bus from Clarence Street to the cemetery.

For those visiting by bus, go to Clarence Street in the town centre and catch an ‘A’ route bus to the cemetery. There is a bus stop on Bouncers Lane close to the cemetery’s gates.

NB: For those of a certain age, the museum is only about 100 yards from the grave of the former Rolling Stone, Brian Jones. The location of his grave is identified on Google Maps.

Map to the Cheltenham Battlefield Crosses Museum