The 6th Marquess started collecting model soldiers as a schoolboy. He was fascinated by the campaigns of the Napoleonic period, and had great knowledge of the various battle and parade formations, and of regimental uniforms.

Lord Cholmondeley served in the Royal Dragoons during the Second World War, when he was awarded the Military Cross, and later transferred to the Grenadier Guards for a further three years after the war.

However, it was not until the 1950's, after he and his wife had settled down at Cholmondeley, the family estate in Cheshire, that he turned again to his soldier collection. He started ordering figures from several sources in London, often commissioning whole scenes to his specification. There are now examples of many different models in the museum, all painted with great attention to detail.

While the largest tableau is a reconstruction of the Battle of Waterloo, with the figures of Wellington and Napolean standing on opposite hills, many other famous battles and periods of military history are represented. For example, there are scenes from the Franco-Prussian Wars, and two parade scenes depicting the German and British armies c. 1880.

The backgrounds to many of the tableaux were painted by Ian Weekley, and were commissioned when Lord Cholmondeley moved the collection to Houghton for the opening of the museum.