Crystal Palace Museum

The history of the Crystal Palace is kept alive here at the museum and tells the story of both the Hyde Park and Sydenham Crystal Palaces. Housed in the only surviving building constructed by the Crystal Palace Company built around 1880  as a lecture room for the Crystal Palace Company’s School of Practical Engineering.   The story of both palaces is told in a series of unique images supplemented by large scaled models of the Crystal Palace plus showcases displaying ceramics and other items associated with the Crystal Palace including remnants from the original building. Adjacent to the museum is the base of Brunel’s water tower.

Museum of Wimbledon

Whether you live in the area or just have an interest in our rich local history, we would like to introduce you to a wealth of resources available at your fingertips.

To find out more about the Museum of Wimbledon, its origins and objectives, go to the about section. Of course the best way to enjoy the museum is to visit us – we are open every weekend from 2.30pm until 5pm. In the meantime you can gain an overall impression of our permanent exhibitions which are on view by exploring the website further. Like most museums, we only have the space to display a fraction of our items, so feel free to follow your own train of connections through the individual collections. Another way we can display more of our extensive catalogue is through a programme of special exhibitions, so please check out what is on at the moment. Recently we have also started to build a new library of oral history where you will be able hear firsthand accounts of life in a bygone age from senior Wimbledon residents.

The museum does not receive any outside funding, so why not find out how you can support us in our mission? We are also always on the look-out for new additions to our collection. We equally rely on income from sales of the many fascinating titles available through our on-line bookshop. If you have any thoughts or questions, including about our schools and community programmes, please contact us and we will get right back to you. This website is continually being developed so we would equally like your comments on areas for improvement.

Swanage Museum

Swanage Museum is a Registered Charity No. 274200.  The Swanage Museum & Heritage Centre is a Company Ltd by Guarantee, No. 7640507.  The shop is staffed completely by volunteers and is an exciting move forward in the Museum’s history.  It is to be hoped that the shop will bring in much needed funds to ensure the Museum’s long term future in these hard economic times.  Come and visit us next time you are in Swanage, we look forward to your visit

Totnes Elizabethan House Museum

You enter the Museum through the reception in what would have been the Elizabethan merchant’s shop. If you wander through to the rear, you will enter the courtyard and herb garden where we grow lavender, sage, thyme and rosemary amongst other herbs. You may buy a bunch of herbs with our ancient recipe leaflet to try your medieval culinary skills out at home!

If you want the museum to come alive for your children, please ask our volunteers for a quiz sheet, we have both the “Hunt the Mouse” & “Find the Artifact” but we will leave it up to you to whether to tell them about our resident ghost or not!

Once you through reception you will arrive at the Bennett Room…
Have a browse through the history of Totnes. We have a very special display of the Lee Ring, which has a twin in the V&A in London; and there are early coins minted in the town over a thousand years ago. Including one from the reign of King Canute of turning back the waves fame!
To get to the other floors you climb a Devon Pole Staircase — wooden winding stairs around a central pole which runs from ground
floor to roof.

We think this pole had previously been the mast of a man of war!

Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Garden

The excavated foundations of this once important and influential Abbey lie in a peaceful walled garden, with an extensive herb garden and medieval orchard. The museum brings to life the story of Saxon England’s foremost Benedictine nunnery, founded by King Alfred in 888AD. The Abbey acted as the catalyst for the prosperity of the town and surrounding area for over 650 years;  it was destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1539.

Combe Martin Museum

Combe Martin Museum and Information Point is a Registered Charity (No.1167141 ) and Accredited museum  based virtually on the beach in the seaside village of Combe Martin.  The museum has been re housed  through Heritage Lottery funding in a completely refurbished building.   We offer an attractive, interesting and easily accessible resource for anyone interested in the history of Combe Martin and the surrounding area. The museum is fully accessible with  a disability lift and toilet.   We are a Makaton friendly museum and all displays are accessible to those with visual impairment through the use of the ‘Discovery Pen’ audio device.
The use of an Ancestry Research Point
A3/A4 laminating/copy shop service and computer use
Free wi-fi
We hold regular Coffee Mornings every two weeks on a Tuesday when entry to the museum is free (see our events page),   Children’s Craft Workshops during school holidays and Seashore Safaris.  We will be listing all of our events in the Events section of our website, keep checking back for some exciting future events.  For more information about the museum and what we can offer or if you have any questions please get in touch, we will be very pleased to hear from you.

National Waterways Museum, Gloucester

Gloucester Docks, the most inland port in the country is home to old dock buildings, designer shops, cool cafes and fantastic new museums making it a great place for a family day out.

Within the complex is our award-winning National Waterways Museum, Gloucester charting the fascinating 200-year history of the docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

The Grade II listed Gloucester Waterways Museum warehouse has been renovated, refreshed and rebranded thanks to over £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund.

With fun, interactive exhibits, café, museum shop and boat trips around the dock, you’ll discover the stories of the communities that lived and continue to thrive here.

Goole Museum and Art Gallery

Goole Community Museum is located on the first floor of the Goole Library building, and explores the history of the historic port town of Goole through permanent displays and a temporary exhibition programme. The museum welcomes visits from schools and community groups, and has a dedicated Education Room in which pupils and visitors can work with the museum collections.

West Highland Museum

Situated in the High Street in the heart of the historic town of Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, The West Highland Museum’s collections tell the story of the region and its history. Our most renowned and unusual collection relates to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite cause.
But we also hold a wealth of curious and fascinating collections relating to less well-known aspects of the lives of the people of the West Highlands,
from the effects of political warfare, to the economic impact of tourism in the region, and the coming of the industrial and modern age. Why not explore a selection of items from our collections, learn about the museum and its history, become a member, or sign-up to hear first about our news and upcoming events.

Strathnaver Museum

Just a short walk from the white sandy beach at Farr Bay you will find a hidden gem of a Museum housed in the former parish church of St Columba.

Laid out within its unassuming walls is a treasure trove of unusual objects and gripping stories all presented by a friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteer staff.

Serving Mackay Country the Museum is also home to a wonderful collection of Mackay memorabilia belonging to the Clan Mackay Society, making it a must see for anyone of Mackay descent or interested in Clan Mackay.

Located in the ancient province of Strathnaver, scene of some of the most brutal acts of the Highland Clearances, it is unsurprising that this is the main story told by the Museum. In fact it was from the very pulpit which dominates the centre of the Museum that the Rev. David Mackenzie was obliged to read out the eviction notices to his congregation.

The building’s association with the Highland Clearances did not end in 1819, as it was within the church that the Napier Commission heard evidence from the people of north Sutherland in 1883. The Napier Commission resulted in significant improvements to the lives of crofters and other small tenants.