Historian Stuart Orme, new curator at the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, has had a rare chance to discover whether Oliver Cromwell was a true roundhead or not - by examining his hat.

The hat, reputed to belong to Cromwell, is one of the key exhibits at the museum and was taken out of its display case which was being maintained, giving Stuart the opportunity to see its distinctive round crown from underneath.

“Either it was a hat which Cromwell hadn’t worn very much so it didn’t take on the shape of his head - or he really had a round head,” said Stuart who has just taken over at the museum which was once at risk of closure.

He previously worked at Peterborough Museum and the city’s cathedral and hoped to be able to extend the Cromwell in longer term plans for the building.

On Saturday (March 24) there is a free Get Creative Session at the museum from 11am-2pm with costumed characters, artwork and a chance to try on Cromwellian-style hats.