Stow has a marvellous collection of Civil War artefacts based around the Christie Crawfurd collection. Captain Christie Crawfurd (1859–1948) was in the 12th Lancers and saw active service in India. He admired Cromwell and started collecting all things connected to the English Civil War. 

It is said that he and his wife were visiting Stow-on-the-Wold when his wife fell ill. They were looked after so well by the people of Stow that the Captain decided that, because of this kindness and the historical significance of the town in the Civil War, he would give his collection of Civil War armour, paintings and books to Stow.

Paintings - St Edward's Hall holds a collection of oil paintings mostly of the civil war protagonists but also some prints of people and places connected to the war. The paintings are mostly 17th century copies of portraits by van Dyck, Lely, Dobson, Walker, Mignard and others, whilst some have been produced by their “schools”, and some late Victorian artists, including two originals by George Wright. Most of the paintings are on display in the main hall upstairs when it is open. Special tours can be undertaken by arrangement. 

Books - We now have a catalogue of the remarkable Christie Crawfurd collection of over 400 books - many of them rare.  If you would like to access any of the books, they are available at the Gloucestershire Archives. The archivist in Gloucester requires 48 hrs notice and the books are for reference only and cannot be taken out. 

Armour & weapons - A collection of arms and armour is held in Stow but not all of it is on display. There are some items on display in the main hall and a selection is rotated in the Civic Society display cases at the entrance to the Library.