Travel in Time With Tange! (Chesterfield Museum & Art Gallery)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Chesterfield Museum & Art Gallery
Date:	06/12/05 (301 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great way to find out about my town's history.

Disadvantages: None...unless history doesn't interest you at all.

For a town with as much history as Chesterfield it is weird to think that it never used to have a museum at all. For years we had to rely on transient exhibitions in a room in the upstairs ofthe Tourist Information Centre. Thankfully, in 1994, a Museum and Art Gallery was opened (by Henry Sandon of Antiques Roadshow fame), and now we have a chance to show visitors a little of what has made our little town what it is today.

~~~WHERE IS IT?

Chesterfield Museum can (not surprisingly) be found in the centre of the North Derbyshire town of Chesterfield! More precisely it is housed in the beautiful and historic Stephenson Memorial Hall on St. Mary's Gate ~ in the shadow of perhaps our most well known tourist attraction; the Crooked Spire. It is also next door to our theatre (The Pomegranate) and within walking distance of the Tourist Information Centre (on Rykneld Square) and the about a ten minute walk (uphill) from the Railway Station. It is also within easy reach of the surface and multi-storey car parks, although it doesn't have parking facilities of its own.

~~~WHEN IS IT OPEN AND WHAT DOES IT COST?

Wonderfully enough the museum is free to enter, although there will sometimes be additional charges if there is a special activity. It opens from 10am until 4pm every day except Sunday and Wednesday. It is open on Bank Holidays too.

~~~THE BUILDING.

Before you even get onto the history of the town there is a lot of history in the building that houses it. The Stephenson Memorial Hall was built back in 1879. It began life as a mechanics institute and was named after one of the town's most famous residents ~ railway pioneer and eminent Victorian, George Stephenson (who is buried in a local church near to my house).

~~~FACILITIES.

As well as the exhibitions and events the museum also has study facilities. It also has wheelchair access to all public area, disabled toilets, sign language interpretation (on request) and touch exhibits and handling sessions if required. There is also a small shop and a loan service. Groups need to be pre-booked in advance by telephoning and if you would like a guided tour, this can be arranged.

If you are a stranger to the area I would recommend phoning ahead of your trip to make sure there will be a guided tour because it is well worth having one. You can also phone to get them to send you a brochure with directions and info ~ another useful thing to do before making the trip! School parties can also ask for information leaflets.

~~~WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?

The museum tells the story of Chesterfield from its Roman origins through to the present. This is achieved through permanent displays and changeable exhibitions and special events, often to tie in with events in the town (for example there is an exhibition of medieval music to coincide with the Medieval Market at the end of July ~ I have seen the performers, called Hautbois, before and they are very good).

We have coins, clothes, medals, machinery, scientific discoveries and all manner of things to come and look at. My favourite section is simply called "The Story of Chesterfield". This is a small walkround exhibition telling the tale of the town. It is very interesting and helps people find out why the town built up where it did, why the Romans settled and built a fort here and why the twon became a Market Town and Industrial centre.

The children's events are particularly interesting ~ my favourite was the "dress as a Roman soldier" event! I am also looking forward to the exhibition on the history of Chesterfield's shops that starts in October ~ which girl wouldn't want to know about shopping?

Exhibits wise, the most important one we have is a 14th Century windlass ~ this was used by builders who constructed the Crooked Spire. This can be found in the entrance to the galleries and is over 20 feet high. It is a very impressive sight and I find it fascinating to go and see something so old in such good condition. I also like to wonder if they knew when they were building the church, that their creation would become so famous.

My favourite set of exhibits covers the Roman and Medieval periods and features some of the finds uncovered in true Time Team fashion when the town was being excavated during building work. This includes artifacts from the old Roman Fort and the heart of the Medieval town. I love to look at these finds and imagine what life was like way back then!

The largest permanent collections are to do with the Industrial history of my town. There are some fine examples of local pottery (Bramptonware) and a collection from a famous local business (Robinson & Sons Ltd) that made some of the first disposable nappies! The George Stephenson collection is also well worth a look. And has some nice portraits of the family and material about Stephenson's life and work. I always feel proud to be associated with such a prominent historical figure.

The Art Gallery has work on display from local artists past and present. I must admit I prefer to visit the museum section, but am pleased that we have a place where art can be displayed and enjoyed by the local community and showcase our talent and history to visitors. I would recommend allowing a good few hours to appreciate the museum and give it the attention it deserves. I would also recommend that you telephone or email them to find out if there is anything special happening on the day you intend going. This could affect how long you will spend there ~ it gets quite busy on some event days, but is relatively peaceful otherwise.

I am pleased that Chesterfield has a museum of its own. It is a great place for children, families and adults alike. It is a lovely place for visitors to the town to find out more about the place they have come to. For residents of the town it is a valuable educational resource and a place I wish more people would visit ~ so many people who live in a place know very little about the history of it. I really recommend Chesterfield Museum & Art Gallery…I hope that it will encourage people to find out more about my town.


~~~CONTACT DETAILS.

(Tel): 01246 345727

(E-mail): museum@chesterfield.gov.uk

Summary: An interesting and informative place to visit.