Montrose Museum

The museum tells the story of Montrose and its people – from the earliest archaeological finds to the gallant Marquis of Montrose and the Jacobite uprisings, to the harbour and maritime trade. The museum hosts works from Angus Council’s collections of paintings and sculptures, as cared for by ANGUSalive, visiting artist exhibition and offers afternoon talks, children’s activities and occasional evening events.

Opening in 1842, by Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society, the museum was one of the first purpose-built museums in Scotland and houses a series of displays in the neo-classical building’s spacious atrium, mezzanine and galleries and was designed to look like a true temple of learning, with iconic columns on either side of the doorway and MUSEUM written above the lintel in elegant gold lettering.

Fulham Palace

The historic house and garden of the Bishops of London, open to all to discover over 1,300 years of British history.

Stanley Spencer Gallery

Cookham was very important to Stanley Spencer, he called it ‘a Village in Heaven’ and it was an endless source of artistic inspiration throughout his life. After his death in 1959 friends and patrons determined to find a permanent home within the village in which to display paintings and drawings that would serve as a memorial to the artist. Those involved in the project included Joan George who lived for a time in the artist’s former house Fernlea and became the first honorary secretary, Gerard Shiel a solicitor and local collector of Spencer’s works, Donald Rademacher a former director of the John Lewis Partnership, and the Rev Michael Westropp vicar of Cookham who had extended hospitality to Spencer in his last years. In 1962 the Gallery opened within the former Wesleyan Chapel in the High Street which Spencer had attended as a child with his mother. In the catalog for the opening exhibition Lord Astor, a patron of Spencer and founder of the Gallery wrote:

This Gallery is in its nature modest. It can only show a selection of Stanley Spencer’s pictures though they will vary each year. But perhaps a great edifice would be less typical of Stanley than this Gallery which is in scale with the rest of the village and reflects the nature of Stanley; small, cheerful, very special and deeply loved.

On show were many lent works, a number of which now form a part of the permanent collection, including the monumental painting Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta, left unfinished at Spencer’s death. The practical arrangements of the hanging were supervised by Spencer’s former agent Dudley Tooth. The artist’s daughters Shirin and Unity attended the exhibition and have been great supporters of the Gallery over the years. The Gallery was then opened to the public, at first run by a full-time paid custodian but latterly run at every level very successfully by a team of volunteers.

Bishop Bonnerʼs Cottage Museum

55 years of the Bishop Bonner’s Cottage Museum 1963 – 2018

Pitt Rivers Museum

The Pitt Rivers Museum displays archaeological and ethnographic objects from all parts of the world and all time periods. It is truly a global museum. The museum is also a teaching and research institution and the curators are also university lecturers in either cultural anthropology or prehistoric archaeology. A number of degree courses are taught to both graduate and undergraduate studies.

The museum was founded in 1884 when General Pitt Rivers, an influential figure in the development of archaeology and evolutionary anthropology, gave his collection to the University of Oxford. Find out a little more about him here and a great deal more about him here.

There were more than 26,000 objects in 1884, but now there are over half a million in the museum. Many were donated by early anthropologists and explorers. The collection includes extensive photographic, film, manuscript and sound collections.

Details of some of the important events that are associated with the history of the Pitt Rivers Museum can be found here. The museum has always been housed in a small three galleried building at the rear of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (to which, at the beginning, it was formally attached). You can find out a great deal about the connections of people and events that led to the museum we know today here

Since the founding collection moved to Oxford there have been many curatorial staff working in the museum including Henry Balfour, Beatrice Blackwood, and many others.

Today the museum is a dynamic, forward-looking institution with many connections to source communities throughout the world (see, for example, the recent projects with the Haida People of Canada).

The Famous Typological Displays

In most ethnographic and archaeological museums the objects are arranged according to geographical or cultural areas. At the Pitt Rivers Museum they are arranged according to type: musical instruments, weapons, masks, textiles, jewelry, and tools are all displayed to show how the same problems have been solved at different times by different peoples.

Many of the cases appear to be very crowded, as a large percentage of the total collection is on view. In some instances the ‘displays’ are essentially visible storage. If you look carefully you will see that actually a great deal of information is provided about individual objects. There are often small labels, many of them hand printed by the first Curator,  which are very revealing. Other information was written onto objects and we also have more modern large display labels in most cases. More contemporary interpretative displays are on offer in our special temporary exhibitions.

What is on Show in the Museum?

Ethnographic and archaeological objects are on permanent display in the three floors of displays in the museum and include the following:

Pacific island objects, including a magnificent Tahitian mourner’s costume, collected during Captain Cook’s Second Voyage in 1773-74; Hawaiian feather cloaks in brilliant shades of red and yellow; a wide range of hand-woven textiles and looms; a collection of ceremonial brasses and ivories from the Kingdom of Benin; a fine group of early masks worn by actors in Japanese Noh dramas; more masks from Africa, Melanesia and North America; sculpture from all over the world in wood, pottery, metal and stone; boats, ranging from full-sized sailing craft to model canoes; baskets in all possible shapes and sizes; pottery from Africa and the Americas, including many pre-Columbian pieces; costumes from North America including Inuit fur parkas, Plains skin shirts decorated with porcupine quills, painted coats from the Northeastern Woodlands and a range of decorated moccasins; magic objects including amulets and charms; jewelry and body decoration; locks and keys; tools and weapons; musical instruments.

These interactive web pages allow virtual visitors to explore and manipulate 360 degree photographic panoramas of the Museum interior .

Devonshire Collection of Period Costume

Totnes Fashions and Textiles Museum houses the Devonshire Collection of Period Costume, which contains clothing for men, women and children from the eighteenth century to the twentyfirst century. A themed exhibition, which is changed annually, is displayed in the most intact Tudor Merchant’s House in Totnes.

Colzium Museum

Time to visit the New Colzium Visitor Centre and Cafe

New for 2017, the Colzium Estate former family chapel has been converted into a visitor centre and garden cafe. Why not relax alfresco and take the time to enjoy a freshly brewed coffee, in terrace seating overlooking the tranquil walled garden

With details about the estate and area’s rich history, walks and trails, the centre will be the ‘hub’ for finding out more about the estate and the ideal starting point for exploring the wider Kelvin Valley. We welcome you to take time to learn more about its colourful past and discover its natural beauty.

The centre and cafe is seasonal and will be open from April to September.

Colzium House & Museum

Colzium House was once the seat of the Edmonstone family but became the property of the Burgh of Kilsyth after the Second World War. Built in 1783, it was substantially enlarged in 1861.  Much of the original building was pulled down in the late 1940s, due to dry rot, but the Victorian frontage and wings survive to form the house we see today.

The museum comprises a single room on the second floor of the house, converted out of the former chapel.  Displays relate to the heritage of the surrounding area and include objects from the nearby castles of Colzium and Kilsyth as well as photographs and artefacts from the domestic and industrial settings of the locality.

Other local historic features include the site of Kilsyth Castle, to the west of Colzium House by Allanfauld Road. Another 15th Century tower house, it survived until 1650 when it was attacked and burnt by Cromwell’s troops as they advanced north.  The remains provided the district with a free quarry for many years. Some carved stonework is now in Colzium House museum.

To the east of the estate are Banton Loch and the village of Banton, with its historic Swan Inn.  The area formed the site of the 17th Century Battle of Kilsyth and was latterly known for its Victorian brickworks, samples of which are in the museum.

Thirlestane Castle

Maitlands & History

The history of the ground upon which Thirlestane Castle now stands dates back to at least the 12th Century and later a large Border fort was built on the site to defend the approach to Edinburgh from the south.

The central part of the present castle was completed in 1590, remodelled in the 1670s and then enlarged in the 1840s

Throughout its long history, Thirlestane has belonged to the Maitland family, one of the most able famous in Scotland.  The Maitlands came to Britain in 1066 with William the Conqueror and settled in Northumberland.  In about 1260, Sir Richard Maitland married Avicia daughter and sole heiress to Thomas du Thirlestane.  It was this marriage that bought the lands of Thirlestane and others into the ownership of the Maitland family.  The ruined remains of the family home at that time can still be seen two miles from the castle on the A697.

Through military service and their contributions to the law and the arts, the Maitlands gained increasingly in power and influence.  In 1590, John Maitland, whose elder brother Sir William Maitland of Lethington had served as Secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, became Lord Chancellor of Scotland.  His son was later created 1st Earl of Lauderdale in 1624.

Today the castle is still the home of the Maitland family.  For further information about the Maitlands and the history of the castle download the pdf below.

Champs Chapel Museum of East Hendred

Champs Chapel, built in 1453 for Carthusian monks, contains a selection of East Hendred Heritage Trust’s collection of village artefacts, pictures, documents, books and photographs most of which can be viewed on computer if not on display. Separately housed is the 19th century village fire engine.

Click on the links above to open subsections which will tell you more about the history of our building and collection, the easiest way of getting to East Hendred and our Museum from anywhere in the UK and what options we have for disabled visitors.

You must appreciate the fact that our Museum is very small and is run purely by volunteers. So despite all our efforts to provide the best and entertaining service, we can not compete with larger and more commercial establishments. But if you’d bear with us, we’ll make it worthwhile.

Islington Museum

Our centre holds over 100,000 items on the history of the borough and we aim to keep anything that helps reflect life in Islington past and present.