Bailiffgate Museum facts for kids
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| Location | Alnwick, Northumberland, England |
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The Bailiffgate Museum is a cool, independent museum in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. It's all about the history of Alnwick and the area around it. Volunteers and trustees run the museum, making it a special place to visit.
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Discover Bailiffgate Museum's Home
The museum is in an old part of Alnwick, very close to Alnwick Castle. It's located inside St Mary's Church, which was built in 1836. You can still see the church's original organ inside! As you explore the museum, you'll learn about the rich history of the region. They use fun displays, videos, and hands-on activities to tell the stories of centuries past.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Bailiffgate Museum has a special collection focused on Alnwick and its surrounding areas. Most of the items show what life was like for local people long ago.
You can find all sorts of interesting things, like:
- Old farming tools
- Items used in homes
- Railway objects
- Tools from coal mining
- Printing equipment
- Lots of old photos and paintings
They also have a rare fire pump from the 1700s. Plus, there's a display about RAF Boulmer, a local Royal Air Force station.
In 2013, two items from the museum were chosen as "Top 100 items" for a project called "History of the North East in 100 Objects." These special items were:
- The Davison Bible: This Bible was printed by a local pharmacist named William Davison (publisher). He wanted to help more people learn about the Christian faith. So, he came up with a clever idea: he printed his "Universal Holy Bible" in 100 small parts. Each part cost just one shilling, making it easier for people to buy.
- The Rothbury Football: This small leather "football" is stuffed with hay. It's not much bigger than a handball! It was used in old games between the villages of Thropton and Rothbury. The goals were Thropton Bridge and the church porch in Rothbury. This shows how sports were played way back in medieval times.
The Rothbury Football was again named one of the Top 100 Objects in 2018.
Connecting with the Community
The museum works closely with the local community. It also offers fun activities and learning programs for local schools and other educational groups. It's a great place for students to learn about history outside the classroom.
Special Art Exhibitions
The museum loves to support local artists. It has a special gallery area where it holds exhibitions of their artwork. This means you can often see new and exciting art when you visit!
Stella Vine's Contributions
Artist Stella Vine grew up in Alnwick. She has shown her work at the Bailiffgate Museum. In 2004, she generously donated three of her paintings to the museum's collection.
Two of these paintings tell stories about her own life. One painting, called The Rumbling Kern (2003), shows a part of the Alnwick shoreline near Howick beach. The other, 27 Clayport Gardens (2004), shows Stella as a baby in a pram outside her grandmother's old house. The third painting is called Belle (2004). It shows Catherine Deneuve from the movie Belle de Jour. This painting also includes collage, with a ribbon and a small picture of a bee stuck onto it.
In July 2006, Stella Vine returned to the museum to lead a family art workshop called People Pets and Places. She also had another exhibition at the museum in 2019.
Explore the Museum Online
The museum has a second website, www.bailiffgatecollections.co.uk. This website lets more people see items from its collection that can't always be on display. For example, you can find a detailed list of all 1,300 local men who died in World War I. There are also hundreds of old photographs, including some of the very first portraits taken in Alnwick.
See Also
- Alnwick
- Alnwick Castle
- Stella Vine (a local artist who has supported the museum)
- William Davison (publisher)
