Tag: museums

Lancashire Mining Museum Secures NHLF Grant

Lancashire Mining Museum Secures NHLF Grant

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The Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley, Wigan, had been awarded a grant of nearly £200,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The funding will be used to safeguard the ‘unique’ winding house of the former Astley Green Colliery in Wigan. The site’s 98ft high headgear is a prominent feature of the surrounding landscape.

The museum has also secured additional contributions from the Association for Industrial Archaeology, the Arts Council, Awards for All, the Pilgrim Trust, and Wigan Council, bringing the grant total to over £360,000. Sunk in 1908 to exploit coal reserves in the south Lancashire Coalfield, the colliery had a lifespan of only 62 years, finally closing in 1970. Because of its short and relatively recent history, a considerable number of written and photographic records have survived. The site includes a 98ft winding headgear, winding engine, colliery cottages, and a miner’s canteen.

Further details about the museum here: https://lancashireminingmuseum.lexington-staging-site.co.uk/visit-us

The Headgear at the Lancashire Mining Museum (Astley Pit). Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.

Industrial Heritage Sites Benefit from New Conservation Grants

Industrial Heritage Sites Benefit from New Conservation Grants

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Industrial Heritage sites in England are amongst 37 heritage sites set to receive £15 million in funding as a part of the Government’s ‘Heritage At Risk’ fund. The funding will go towards repair works and the conservation of heritage buildings at risk, and is a part of the Government’s £270 million ‘Arts Everywhere Fund’. The fund has prioritised projects that will restore heritage sites serving disadvantaged communities and which demonstrate strong local benefits, from job creation to cultural events.

The industrial sites receiving funding are:

  • Woodhorn Colliery Shaft Heads, Ashington, Northumberland – £997,265 
  • National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port – £250,000
  • Treadgolds, Portsea, Portsmouth – £485,200
  • The Folk Pin Factory (Grade II), Gloucester Civic Trust – £142,871

Follow this link for further details: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/37-local-heritage-sites-to-benefit-from-15-million-boost-to-breathe-new-life-into-communities-across-england

National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, is owned and run by the Canal & River Trust. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.

Devizes Industrial Archaeology Conference October 2025 Booking Opens

Devizes Industrial Archaeology Conference October 2025 Booking Opens

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The 2025 Devizes Industrial Archaeology Conference will be held on 25 October. The varied selection of topics runs from the building of the M4, the Devizes Wireless Station, and the Somerset & Dorest Railway, to Salisbury Station and Nonconformist chapels in the county.

The conference will be held in the Wiltshire Museum lecture hall. This limits the number of people who can be accommodate so early booking is recommended.

Full details and booking are on Wiltshire Museum’s website at – https://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/?event=conference-industrial-archaeology-2025&event_date=2025-10-25.

London Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 8 August

London Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 8 August

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Bookings are now open for the next in-person London Industrial Heritage Network meeting to be held at Merton Priory Chapter House, Wandle, on Thursday 8th August, 11am to 3pm.

Established in 2018, these regional meetings are designed to bring together those industrial heritage sites open to the public in each region, and local groups and individuals working or volunteering on industrial archaeology and heritage subjects and sites in the area. The format is a round-table discussion in the morning, with a tour of the site in the afternoon.

All IHN members are very welcome to attend. You can turn up on the day or follow this link to book a free place via Eventbrite:

Register on Eventbrite
East of England Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 7 August

East of England Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 7 August

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Bookings are now open for the next in-person East of England Industrial Heritage Network meeting at the Royal Gunpowder Mill Mills, Waltham Abbey, on Thursday 7th August, 11am to 3pm.

Established in 2018, these regional meetings are designed to bring together those industrial heritage sites open to the public in each region, and local groups and individuals working or volunteering on industrial archaeology and heritage subjects and sites in the area. The format is a round-table discussion in the morning, with a tour of the site in the afternoon.

All IHN members are very welcome to attend. You can turn up on the day or follow this link to book a free place via Eventbrite:

Register on Eventbrite
West Midlands Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 25 June

West Midlands Industrial Heritage Network Meeting, 25 June

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There’s still time to book a place on the next in-person West Midland’s Industrial Heritage Network meeting to be held at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust on Wednesday 25 June, at 11am in the Glass Glassroom behind the Museum of Iron, Coalbrookdale.

Established in 2018, these regional meetings are designed to bring together those industrial heritage sites open to the public in each region, and local groups and individuals working or volunteering on industrial archaeology and heritage subjects and sites in the area. The format is a round-table discussion in the morning, with a tour of the site in the afternoon.

All IHN members are very welcome to attend. You can turn up on the day or follow this link to book a place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/west-midlands-industrial-heritage-network-meeting-tickets-1377368599559?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Long Shop Museum Recieves £14,000 Aim Grant for Revamped Gallery

The Long Shop Museum Recieves £14,000 Aim Grant for Revamped Gallery

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The Association of Independent Museums (AIM) have announced the winners of the inaugural Museum Fundamentals grants. Funded by the Pilgrim Trust and The Julia Rausing Trust and launched in December 2024, the AIM Museum Fundamentals grant is designed to respond to the varied needs of AIM members.

Amongst the initial round of 12 grants is a succesful application from The Long Shop Muaseum in Suffolk to redesign and redisplay the ‘Made in Leiston’ gallery. The design and content of the new exhibition is based on audience research conducted over the last two seasons. The new displays will focus on unlocking the social history of the town and the people who lived and worked there over a 250-year span, and on technological change. The Long Shop Museum was founded in 1984. It is housed in a cluster of historic buildings in the Suffolk market town of Leiston. The buildings are survivors of the original 19th century engineering works site of Richard Garrett and Sons who specialised in famring machinery. Further details here:

https://www.longshopmuseum.co.uk/

The AIM Museum Fundamentals grant is funded by the Pilgrim Trust and The Julia Rausing Trust, and launched in December 2024. It combines the valued collections care and conservation funding supported by the Pilgrim Trust with new funding from The Julia Rausing Trust. AIM members can apply for up to £20,000 for funding to undertake a collections-based project. If you’re interested in applying to Museum Fundamentals, expressions of interest for the next round are welcome until Friday 8 August. Further details here: https://aim-museums.co.uk/news/first-aim-museum-fundamentals-awards-made/

Long Shop, Leiston, Suffolk. Image copyright The Long Shop Museum.

Industrial Heritage Network Meetings for 2025: West Midlands Date Released

Industrial Heritage Network Meetings for 2025: West Midlands Date Released

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2025’s in-person Industrial Heritage Network (IHN) meetings will be taking place over the summer and autumn. Established in 2018, these regional meetings are designed to bring together those industrial heritage sites open to the public in each region, and local groups and individuals working or volunteering on industrial archaeology and heritage subjects and sites in the area. The format is a round-table discussion in the morning, with a tour of the site in the afternoon.

The first meeting for 2025 will be for the West Midlands IHN, which will be held at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust in the Glass Classroom on the Coalbrookdale site on 25th June. After a general meeting in the morning, there will be an afternoon tour of current conservation works at Blists Hill.

All IHN members are very welcome to attend. A booking link via Eventbrite can be found here. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/west-midlands-industrial-heritage-network-meeting-tickets-1377368599559?aff=oddtdtcreator

These meetings are part of the Industrial Heritage Support project for England, run by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and funded by Historic England and the Association for Industrial Archaeology.

Colliery headgear and canal at Blists Hill, Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.
Adapting to Net Zero on Industrial Heritage Sites Online Seminar, May 2025

Adapting to Net Zero on Industrial Heritage Sites Online Seminar, May 2025

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The Industrial Heritage Support project is running a free online seminar on 22 May 2025 focussing on climate change and Net Zero. The seminar is designed to give an overview of Net Zero adaptation strategies on industrial heritage sites in England. This is a follow-up seminar from an event on climate change and industrial heritage sites run in 2023.

The seminar will include a short presentation from Historic England covering their latest research and advice on reaching Net Zero in the Heritage sector. This will be followed by three industrial heritage site case studies from Cromford Mills, the National Mining Museum in Wakefield, and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust discussing practical and future steps as these sites to achieve Net Zero. The seminar will finish with a discussion and questions.

The seminar is free and will run from 10:30am to 12 noon. To book via Eventbrite click here

National Trust in Talks to Run Heartlands Industrial Heritage Site

National Trust in Talks to Run Heartlands Industrial Heritage Site

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The National Trust, Cornwall Rural Community Charity, and Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum are in discussions with Cornwall Council over the future of the Heartlands mining heritage site at Pool in Cornwall.

The site opened in 2012 after more than £20m in lottery funding was used to regenerate the derelict mining area and retsore the listed mining pumping engine house and surrounding buildings as a visitor attraction with retail units. It was run by the Heartlands Trust, and leased from Cornwall Council, before it ran into financial difficulty, closing in January 2024. The Trust was wound up and the Council has took over the maintenance of the site, and has been seeking a partner to lease the entire site from it.

The National Trust said: “The National Trust, with partners, Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC) and Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF) are in discussions with Cornwall Council to look at how a sustainable future could be secured for Heartlands, an important cultural heritage and community site in Cornwall.”

Further details here: https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/25018765.national-trust-talks-heartlands-cornwall-lease/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8e79608rg1o