Three Rivers Museum of Local History was founded in the late 1980s to provide a means of making the history of the Rickmansworth area available to the general public and in particular to local residents. Various artefacts and architectural fittings had been acquired, particularly in the 1960s when historical buildings were being demolished, and photographs were taken recording the changing face of the town.

The art collection is entirely donated. Oil paintings are in naive style, mainly depicting local scenes, and are by local amateur artists about whom little is known. Six are by Alan Young McPeake and were bequeathed by his widow.

Three Rivers Museum Trust, a company limited by guarantee, administers this independent Museum which occupies rooms in Basing House, an historic building associated with William Penn. The Museum is run entirely by volunteers and relies on grants, subscriptions and donations to maintain the collection and public access to it.