Established | 29 July 2002 |
---|---|
Location | Congleton, Cheshire |
Type | Local |
Curator | Ian Doughty (Chair of Trustees) [1] |
Website | Official website |
Congleton Museum is a local museum in Congleton, Cheshire, [2] northwest England, covering the history of the town of Congleton, which is situated on the banks of the River Dane. [3] Congleton Museum Trust was established in 1985 by a group of people interested in local history. [4] The museum is located in the Market square of Congleton. [2] [4]
In 1985 a group of local people formed the Congleton Museum Trust. They collected artefacts, raised money and searched the town for premises suitable for a museum.
In the mid-1990s, a second group of people, who planned to refurbish Congleton Town Hall with the help of Regeneration Funding, became involved, and a museum was written into the refurbishment plans. The former police station, a Victorian building which was part of the town hall complex, was proposed as the museum.
The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the project over £200,000, and other local and national trusts, businesses and local authorities assisted. Building work started in January 2002, and Congleton Museum opened on 29 July 2002.
Congleton Museum was officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester on 9 October 2002. [5]
The museum focuses on the history of Congleton and its immediate neighbourhood, with particular emphasis on prehistory, the Civil War, the Industrial age and World War II. [6] The main display area is on the ground floor. On the first floor there is a research library and map collection and an education room. This is used for exhibitions, school visits, talks and social events. There are also showcases for the display of other items from the collection.
The museum's collection includes a 1500BC burial urn, a log boat from the 930AD, [1] and two 17th century coin hoards. The museum houses tableaux illustrating life in the town during prehistoric times, in the Civil War, in the heyday of the textile industry and during the Second World War. Figures from the past tell their stories, and interactive computers fill in the background. Relief maps show the changes over the centuries. The Civil War was particularly significant to Congleton – a former mayor of the town, John Bradshaw, was first to sign Charles I's death warrant. A cannonball from that time, still embedded in a piece of wall from Biddulph Hall, is in the museum. [6] There are frequent temporary exhibitions, often involving the work of local schools.
Entry to the museum is free. The museum is fully accessible for people with disabilities, with a wheelchair lift on the stairs, an accessible toilet and a hearing loop available for talks and walks.
The museum offers a Second World War Evacuee Experience for primary aged children on the theme of the Second World War.
The museum holds local history walks along various themes. Past themes have included: "Surprising trades"; "A pub crawl through Time" and "Mill Walks and Industrial Yarns". Talks are given by guest speakers or the museum's Collection's Manager, Ian Doughty, on topics such as the Staffordshire Hoard and researching local history. [6]
The museum has a local history reference library containing publications associated with Congleton and the surrounding area. The archive collection includes the town charters and account books as well as estate, business and private papers. The museum has an image bank of over 5,000 pictures, which provide a visual history of Congleton. [6]
Congleton is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The town is by the River Dane, 21 miles (34 km) south of Manchester and 13 miles (21 km) north of Stoke on Trent. At the 2021 Census, it had a population of 30,015.
Biddulph is a town in Staffordshire, England, 8.5 miles (14 km) north of Stoke-on-Trent and 4.5 miles (7 km) south-east of Congleton, Cheshire.
Congleton was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It included the towns of Congleton, Alsager, Middlewich and Sandbach. The headquarters of the borough council were located in Sandbach.
Sandbach is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire East borough of Cheshire, England. The civil parish contains four settlements: Sandbach, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock. It lies close to the cities of Stoke on Trent, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool and Salford.
Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. In 2011, it had a population of 4,780.
Middlewich is a town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, 19.2 miles (30.9 km) east of Chester, 2.9 miles (4.7 km) east of Winsford, 5.3 miles (8.5 km) southeast of Northwich and 4.7 miles (7.6 km) northwest of Sandbach. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,595. Middlewich, with Northwich and Winsford, forms part of the Central Cheshire conurbation, with an estimated 2023 population of 130,000.
Crewe Heritage Centre is a railway museum located in Crewe, England. Managed by the Crewe Heritage Trust, the museum is located between the railway station and the town centre; the site was the location of the 'Old Works' which was demolished in the early 1980s.
The River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site at Mill Meadows by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the local town of Henley-on-Thames.
The Museum of Oxford(MOX) is a history museum in Oxford, England, covering the history of Oxford and its people. The museum includes both permanent and temporary displays featuring artefacts relating to Oxford's history from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum also acts as a public meeting space which people and organisations rent for both public and private events. Other activities facilitated by the museum include frequent public talks by historians and local cultural organisations, organised school tours, family activities, adult learning workshops, and an older people's program.
Dorman Museum is a local and social history museum on the town centre side of Albert Park, Linthorpe in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It is one of two museums operated by the local borough council, along with the Captain Cook birthplace in Stewart Park.
The Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, Northwich, Cheshire, records the social, cultural and industrial history of west Cheshire. It was formerly known as the Salt Museum, reflecting its early focus on the history of salt extraction, a local industry dating back to Roman times. The museum was renamed Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse in 2010 as its remit now extends to cover the broader history of the area and also the history of the building itself as a former workhouse.
Brereton is a civil parish in Cheshire, England. At the 2011 census, the population was 1,190. Brereton is mentioned in the Domesday book as the Manor of Bretune. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Brereton Green, Brereton Heath, Smethwick Green, Medhurst Green, Sandlow Green and Davenport.
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council. Towns within the area include Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Sandbach, Wilmslow, Handforth, Knutsford, Poynton, Bollington, Alsager and Nantwich. The council is based in the town of Sandbach.
The Yorkshire Museum is a museum in York, England. It was opened in 1830, and has five permanent collections, covering biology, geology, archaeology, numismatics and astronomy.
Islington Museum is a public museum dedicated to the history of the London Borough of Islington. It opened in 2008 and covers various themes on local and social history.
Nantwich Museum is a local museum in the town of Nantwich, Cheshire, northwest England, founded in 1980. The museum is housed in the former public library, dating from 1888. Collections focus on Cheshire's role in the English Civil War, and the area's history of salt production and cheese-making, as well as the manufacture of shoes, clothing and clocks.
Clitheroe Castle Museum is located in Clitheroe, Lancashire, England, in the former Steward's House, a Grade II listed building that was built in the 18th century to house the steward of Clitheroe Castle. It is a museum showing the history of the local area.
Congleton Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Congleton, Cheshire, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Congleton Town Council, is a grade II* listed building.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)