A rare selection of items from Oswestry's former district hospital have been given to the town's museum.

Mark Hignett, museum director, said the collection provided presented by Peter Carkeet-James from the League of Friends gives a "significant insight" into the hospital which was based off Upper Brook Street and closed in 1988.

The items include a visitors' book, records of the annual garden parties and a commemorative plaque to a surgeon which was placed on a bench.

Mark continued: "Information on the Oswestry and District Hospital is like hens' teeth so this is a fantastic collection.

"There's even a special booklet patients were given when they left, photographs of the lift - because in the 1950s it was very modern having a lift in a hospital - and visitor entries, plus details of the Nurses Sunday when the staff would go to church."

The collection runs from 1939 through to the 1960s.

"The trouble we find is if you go online and try to find anything on the Oswestry and District Hospital there's nothing on there," continued Mark, "but now Peter has given us stories from nurses and interviews with doctors about what it was like, so now we have quite an archive of material."

Mark said he is also hopeful the donation will encourage others with memories of the O&D to come forward.

He continued: "We were gobsmacked when Peter came in with the items because it was so unexpected and provides a wealth of information that we haven't had before.

"I really hope people who have memories of the O&D - whether they were patients, staff or visitors - will come forward and help to build a proper history of it."

The items will now be included in a new display which is being compiled by students from The Marches School in Oswestry who spent last week on work experience.

They are also working on another display focusing on how the First World War changed opportunities for women.

Both displays will be available for 12 months.