Stamford Museum

Stamford Museum was located in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in Great Britain. It was housed in a Victorian building in Broad Street, Stamford, and was run by the museum services of Lincolnshire County Council from 1980 to 2011.

For the museum in Stamford, Connecticut, see Stamford Museum and Nature Center.

Stamford Museum
The former Stamford Museum, pictured in September 2009
LocationBroad Street, Stamford
Collection sizeStamford ware, Bull running
Websitehttps://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/heritage-and-tourism/discover-stamford/

The building and area

The building was built in 1895 as a technical school and has the words School of Art and the town crest carved above its doorway. It is built from oolitic limestone and designed by local architect, John Charles Traylen. The museum moved to these premises in 1980, having originally been located in the library on High Street where it had opened in 1961.

Stamford was declared England's first Conservation Area in 1967. The town has been here since Anglo-Saxon and Viking times. Five medieval churches, a 15th-century almshouse as well as many other historic buildings remain.

Collections
A jug that celebrates Ann Blades - a Stamford bull-runner in 1792

The museum interpreted the town's history, including Stamford Ware Pottery and the 18th-century Daniel Lambert, renowned for his girth. Notable exhibits included a Blackstone oil engine and the only known fragment of the Stamford Eleanor Cross.

In the upper gallery were permanent displays on the archaeology and social history of the town. The lower galleries hosted a regular programme of temporary exhibitions. Also on display here was the Stamford Tapestry, which took 17 years to make and was hung in 2000 as part of the Millennium celebration.

There was a large research collection available by appointment. It included a number of photographs and information files on local people, places and events.

Closure

In June 2010 it was announced that the Museum would close because of Lincolnshire County Council cuts.[1] Despite local opposition, the museum closed on 30 June 2011.

Some of the former exhibits have been relocated to the Discover Stamford area at the town's Library.[2][3]

Since 2015 the building has been leased by Wildcats Theatre School.[4]

References
  1. Stamford Museum to close" Stamford Mercury, published: 4 June 2010 Archived 12 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Discover Stamford’s official opening ceremony", Rutland and Stamford Mercury.
  3. "Discover Stamford" on Lincolnshire County Council website
  4. "Former museum gets new lease of life from Wildcats".
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