Bewdley Museum

Bewdley Museum is a museum in the town of Bewdley in Worcestershire, England. It is managed by the Wyre Forest District Council.

Bewdley Museum

Established	1972 (1972)
Location	Bewdley, Worcestershire, England
Coordinates	52°22′32.3″N 2°18′54.8″W

The Shambles, Bewdley - geograph.org.uk - 25825

Brass Foundry Office, Bewdley Museum - geograph.org.uk - 553996

Walled Garden, Bewdley Museum - geograph.org.uk - 1153351

History

The Bewdley Museum Trust was founded in 1969, prior to Bewdley Museum opening in 1972.^[1][2] It was founded by Stephen Quayle who stated that the aims of the museum were, "to show people, who have only known Bewdley as a sleepy backwater, what a busy and important centre it was. It will become the focal point of the town and we hope it will attract visitors and stimulate trade."^[3]

Collections

The collections include local social history, geology, archaeology, fine art and numismatics.^[4] The fine art collection has a focus on landscapes and portraits from Bewdley and the surrounding area, but also includes other works. Significant artists featured in the collection include Cyril Lavenstein, Frank Brangwyn, George Willis-Pryce and Lord Frederic Leighton.^[1] The museum also contains a local history reference library and archives.^[5]

Buildings and gardens

Bewdley Museum is housed within several buildings and gardens, including:

• 19th-century slaughterhouse, known as the Butchers Shambles
• 250-year-old brass foundry
• Town Jails built in 1802
• Second World War air raid shelter built in 1940
• walled herb garden and pond^[6]

Exhibitions

Exhibitions include the story of Bewdley, traditional crafts and temporary exhibits. The museum also hosts resident craftspeople who work from the museum.^[7]