Vermuyden400
Community groups, North Lincolnshire Libraries and North Lincolnshire Museums are working on Vermuyden400, an exciting project dedicated to a very important part of the history of the Isle of Axholme.
On 24 May 1626, King Charles I and the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden, signed a contract. This contract tasked Vermuyden to drain the watery lands of Hatfield Chase and the Isle of Axholme. The 400th anniversary of this event will be commemorated by exhibitions, guided walks, talks, music events, workshops and more.
Vermuyden400 Exhibition at the Rural Life Museum
27 March 2026: The Vermuyden400 exhibition at the Rural Life Museum, Normanby Hall Country Park, opened to the public.
Tiddy Mun Band
In 1986, a special Town Play written by Jack Gale called Tiddy Mun was put on at the Civic Theatre (Plowright), with songs and music from folk-rock band Ragged Heroes. These songs, woven together with stories of the folklore of the area and the impact of the draining on local people’s lives will be performed by the band.
28 March 2026: A musical performance in the Rural Life Museum by the Tiddy Mun Band, starting at 14:00.
7 June 2026, 7.30pm (doors open at 7.00pm): Crowle Community Hub. An evening of stories and superstitions from the fens, told through folk songs from The Tiddy Mun Band. All tickets £8.00. Book in advance by emailing folkroundere@gmail.com
20 June 2026, 12pm: Epworth Music Day, The White Bear stage (FACEBOOK: Epworth Music Day – Saturday 20 June 2026)
26 July 2026: North Lincolnshire Museum, 1pm – 4pm musical performances played intermittently throughout the afternoon
13 September 2026: Crowle Peatland Railway, Home Page – Crowle Peatland Railway
Vermuyden400 Travelling Exhibition
May 2026: A travelling exhibition will tour the Isle of Axholme, starting at Crowle Hub.
24 May 2026 : The official launch for Vermuyden400 will take place at Crowle Community Hub, the 400th anniversary of the signing of the contract. (Please note this event is invite only).
Spirit of the Waters by the Crowle Entertainers
Crowle Entertainers present Spirit of the Waters, an exciting new play with music about the turbulent history of the drainage of the Isle.
26 June 2026, 7.30pm: Crowle Community Hall
27 June 2026, 7.30pm: Haxey Memorial Hall
4 July 2026, 7.30pm: St Andrew’s Church, Epworth
5 July 2026, 6pm: Garforth Village Hall
All tickets £5.00. Box office 07966315733. To book online click on the button:
Vermuyden400 at North Lincolnshire Museum
November 2026 – May 2027: A third exhibition will be held at North Lincolnshire Museum.
To Be Confirmed
Dates to be confirmed: Guided walks on the Isle of Axholme are currently being planned for the summer.
Dates to be confirmed: Talks on different aspects of the history of the Isle of Axholme. These will take place at various venues from September.
Useful Links
For the latest updates, keep an eye on the websites and social media channels of the organisations involved in the project:
Folk ‘Round ‘Ere – Promoting folk music, song & dance in North Lincs