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View Roman toddler's footprint at pop-up museum

Rachel Russell
BBC News
Gill Smith/Wragby Heritage Group A terracotta tile from the Roman period with cracks through it. There are slight indentations in the tile. In the middle in an imprint of what appears to be a child's foot. The object is on display in a glass cabinet at the museum. Gill Smith/Wragby Heritage Group
A Roman tile, on display at Wragby Museum, has an imprint of what appears to be a child's footprint

A temporary museum has been created to show off a Lincolnshire town's Roman gems, including tiles bearing the footprints of a toddler from more than 1,600 years ago.

Until 21 September, an empty shop will be known as Wragby Museum and it has been filled with objects and documents showcasing the town's rich history.

One of the items on display will be a set of Roman tiles thought to have been made by children, particularly as one of the tiles has a visible imprint of what appears to be a toddler's footprint on it.

The museum, funded by Lincolnshire County Council and East Lindsey District Council, was the brainchild of volunteers from the Wragby Heritage Group.

Gill Smith, the group's secretary, said: "Wragby has a rich history. In many ways, we started off with the Romans, so we have artefacts, including a toddler's footprint on a piece of rock, which was found on a building site in the town. We've gone right up until the end of World War Two.

"A lot of the history is also from the Turner family, who owned Wragby and the surrounding villages."

'Long-standing ambition'

Lincolnshire councillor Natalie Oliver agreed the town has an "amazing history".

She said: "Wragby has a proud history dating right back to Roman times. It's brilliant to see this being celebrated.

"The dedicated volunteers from the Wragby Heritage Group have had a long-standing ambition to showcase the town's amazing history in their own museum."

Lincolnshire County Council The exterior of the Wragby museum, with red bricks, a white front door and a sign saying: "Coming Soon".Lincolnshire County Council
The temporary museum has opened in a former shop

Wragby is situated at the junction of five roads, from Lincoln, Skegness, Louth, Bardney and Market Rasen.

The town dates back to pre-Saxon times and was mentioned in the Domesday Book.

A number of Roman artefacts have been discovered locally over the years.

The museum is open Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00 BST.

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