Since it closed a few months ago, the Museum of London has been preparing to pack its huge collection for the move to its new home, and the first item has now gone into the packing case.

A prehistoric flint tranchet adze is the first item to be removed from display, and marks the beginning of a two-year process to remove 10,000 objects from its galleries as the museum prepares to move to a new home in West Smithfield.

The Mesolithic adze, which was created some 10,000 years ago, is a wood-working tool used to fell trees and shape wood to make tools, shelters and boats. A long-term loan from the Layton Collection, it dates back to a time when Greater London was covered in woodlands and still had a landbridge connecting Britain with Europe.

The process of de-installing items began in January and will see the museum barcode, audit, digitise and pack up each object individually. Items range from small, delicate archaeological glass to the large-scale objects like the 2012 Olympic Cauldron, Selfridges lift and Victorian Walk.

The Museum of London in West Smithfield will host a festival in late 2025 ahead of reopening as The London Museum in 2026.

The Museum of London Docklands remains open to visitors and will celebrate its 20th anniversary later this year.