In 1932, Dr. Randall Davis bequeathed Oaklands to the town to be used as a History Room.
One of the rooms commemorates the School of Musketry, later known as the Small Arms Wing of the School of Infantry, which was based in Hythe from 1853 to 1968.
Oaklands is situated in Stade Street. Stade means landing place and this street once led down to the harbour built in the Middle Ages in a vain attempt to replace the earlier silted-up unusable harbour entrance.
The Local History Room contains many artefacts relating to the coastal defence of Hythe, including pictures and objects which illustrate the town's history from Roman times up to the present day.
There is also a unique interactive multimedia presentation of Hythe, old and new.
