List of museums in Cheshire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this list of museums in Cheshire, England, museums are defined as institutions (including non-profit organisations, government entities and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific or historical interest, and that make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (virtual museums) are not included.

Many Cheshire museums focus on the area's industrial heritage, including Quarry Bank Mill in Styal and Clarence Mill in Bollington (cotton), the Macclesfield Museums (silk), the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes (chemicals), and the Lion Salt Works in Marston and Weaver Hall Museum in Northwich (salt). The Anson Engine Museum in Poynton is on the site of a former colliery. Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, on the site of the observatory in Lower Withington, explores astronomy. There are also several transport museums, including the Crewe Heritage Centre (railways), the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port and the Anderton Boat Lift (canals). There are water-powered mills at Bunbury, Nether Alderley and Stretton.

The cities of Chester and Warrington each have a combined museum and art gallery, and the towns of Congleton and Nantwich have local museums. Norton Priory is the remains of an Augustinian abbey, and Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum documents the Primitive Methodist movement. Historic house museums are also represented in the county, including Little Moreton Hall and Lyme Park. Cheshire Military Museum in Chester Castle covers the county's regimental history, and RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre and Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker explore more recent military history. The Museum of Policing in Warrington documents Cheshire's police forces.

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

Name Image Location Type Summary Refs
Adlington HallAdlingtonHistoric houseCountry house dating in part from the 15th century, with gardens[1][2]
Anderton Boat LiftAndertonTransportationBoat lift and visitor centre for the meeting of the River Weaver and Trent and Mersey Canal[3]
Anson Engine MuseumPoyntonTechnologyCollection of stationary engines, blacksmith's smithy and carpentry shop; housed on the site of a former colliery[4]
Arley HallArleyHistoric houseEarly Victorian Jacobethan mansion (1833–41) and chapel, with formal gardens and farm[5]
Bollington Discovery CentreBollingtonIndustryLocal cotton industry, located in Clarence Mill; also canals, local history and art[6][7]
Beeston CastleBeestonCastleRuined 12th Century castle with museum[8]
Bunbury MillBunburyMillRestored mid-19th-century water-powered mill; also wildlife pool[9]
Capesthorne HallSiddingtonHistoric houseJacobean-style house, Georgian Chapel, gardens, parkland[10]
Catalyst Science Discovery CentreWidnesScienceChemistry, history of the chemical industry[11]
Cheshire Military MuseumChesterMilitaryHistory of Cheshire's regiments, located in the former barracks at Chester Castle[12]
Congleton MuseumCongletonLocalLocal history[13]
Crewe Heritage CentreCreweRailway and LocalTrains, locomotives, signal boxes, miniature railways; located on the site of the Crewe Locomotive Works[14]
Dewa Roman ExperienceChesterHistoryRoman British artifacts, reconstructed Roman legionary fortress buildings[15]
Dorfold HallActonHistoric houseJacobean house, gardens, woodland[16]
Dunham Massey HallDunham MasseyHistoric HouseGrade I listed historic house with extensive gardens and grounds[17]
Englesea Brook Chapel and MuseumEnglesea-BrookReligiousHistory of the 19th century working-class religious movement of Primitive Methodism[18]
Gawsworth Old HallGawsworthHistoric houseBlack-and-white timber-framed manor house[19]
Grosvenor MuseumChesterMultipleRoman heritage, art, musical instruments, natural history, Victorian parlour, local history[20]
Hack Green Secret Nuclear BunkerHack GreenMilitaryFormer government-owned nuclear bunker with Cold War and military exhibits[21]
Hadlow Road railway stationWillastonRailway museumRecreation of the station office on the day the station closed, located on the Wirral Way[22]
Jodrell Bank Discovery CentreLower WithingtonScienceLovell radio telescope, planet and space exhibitions, orrery, Solar System model, aboretum[23][24]
Lion Salt WorksMarstonIndustryWorking open-pan salt works and museum, with rebuilt stove house, salt pan, smithy, engine house and brine tank[25]
Little Moreton HallCongletonHistoric houseMoated 15th-century half-timbered manor house; operated by the National Trust[26]
Lyme ParkDisleyHistoric houseMansion house with furnished rooms including tapestries and the Lyme Caxton Missal; formal gardens and deer park; operated by the National Trust[27]
Macclesfield MuseumsMacclesfieldIndustryFour museums about the local silk industry, including the Silk Museum on Park Lane, Paradise Mill, Heritage Centre, and the West Park Museum[28]
Nantwich MuseumNantwichLocalLocal history including Cheshire's role in the Civil War, local salt, cheese, clothing, shoe and clock-making industries, and art[29]
National Waterways MuseumEllesmere PortTransportCanal boats, history of the canals[3]
Nether Alderley MillNether AlderleyMillVictorian water-powered corn mill; operated by the National Trust[30]
Norton Priory MuseumRuncornReligious12–16th-century abbey and 18th-century country house with ruins, archaeological artifacts and medieval history[31]
Peover HallPeover SuperiorHistoric houseGrade II* listed Elizabethan brick house dating from 1585 and 18th-century landscaped park[32]
Quarry Bank MillStyalIndustryFormer cotton mill and textile museum; operated by the National Trust[33]
RAF Burtonwood Heritage CentreBurtonwoodMilitarySite of former US air base, with exhibits on life at the base as well as aeroplanes and engines[34]
Rode Hall and GardensCongletonHistoric houseGrade II* listed Georgian country house and gardens[35]
Stretton WatermillStrettonMillWorking water mill, first recorded in 1351[36]
Tabley HouseKnutsfordHistoric house18th-century Grade I listed house with fine art and furniture collection[37]
Tatton HallKnutsfordHistoric housePart of Tatton Park, early 19th-century house with collections of pictures, books, china, glass, silver and Gillows furniture; operated by the National Trust[38]
The Museum of Policing in CheshireWarringtonLaw enforcementIncludes murder weapons, forgeries, pigeon carriers, uniforms, a Doctor Who police box, photographs and records[39]
Warrington Museum & Art GalleryWarringtonMultipleNatural history, local history, archaeology, fine art, decorative arts[40]
Weaver Hall MuseumNorthwichMultipleHistory of salt making, local history, archaeology[41]

Defunct museums and galleries

References

External links

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