A museum dedicated to life of Oliver Cromwell has officially been handed over to a new trust and Huntingdon Town Council.

A celebratory event marking his life, from his days as a school boy through to his death, was held on Saturday as the running of the museum, in High Street, was handed to the Cromwell Museum Trust.

Curator Corinne Galloway said: “The day went really well, we had a lot of people visit the museum. The museum is one of the best collection of Cromwellian in the country and it is something that Huntingdon can be really proud of – it is a great asset.”

During the day a procession was held from the town hall, in Market Square, supported by members of the Sealed Knot, to the former grammar school.

The keys were then handed over from Cambridgeshire County Council, which had run the museum for decades, to trust chairman Peter Johnson.

The trust had taken over the daily running of museum in April but the special event was also a chance to thank those in the local community and the town council for its contributions.

Also on the day the town’s civic society conducted a Cromwell tour of the town, along with artefacts on show in the town hall.

The county council also displayed a host of letters and other works in Huntingdon library for the public to look at.