Guildford Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Guildford Museum |
|
|---|---|
Guildford Museum Quarry Street Entrance
|
|
| Location | Quarry Street, Guildford, Surrey |
| OS grid reference | SU 99695 49249 |
| Governing body | Guildford Museums |
| Owner | Guildford Borough Council |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: Castle Arch | |
| Designated | 1 May 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1189846 |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: The Castle Gateway | |
| Designated | 1 May 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1029253 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Guildford Museum is a cool place to visit in Guildford, Surrey, England. It's located on Quarry Street, a historic road with old cottages. This museum is actually part of the old Guildford Castle gatehouse. The museum staff also help look after the castle!
The museum is managed by Guildford Borough Council. The best part? Entry is free! You can visit from Monday to Saturday, 11am to 4:45pm. It's closed on Sundays and Christmas Day.
Contents
Discovering Guildford's Past
How the Museum Started
The museum's amazing collection began with the Surrey Archaeological Society. This group started in 1854 and loved collecting old objects. They found items from digs and received gifts from people.
At first, these items were stored in different places in London. In 1871, there was a plan to move them to Croydon. A local institute offered free space and display cases. But things didn't go well there.
In 1892, the collection was found in a "deplorable condition." Glass cases were broken, and some items were even missing! So, the Society had to find a new home for their treasures.
Finding a Home at Guildford Castle
Luckily, Guildford Borough Council stepped in. They had bought Guildford Castle in 1885 and turned its grounds into a public park. In 1898, they offered the Archaeological Society some cottages near the castle's old gatehouse.
These cottages became the new museum and library. The rent was just £12 a year! In return, the Society agreed to open the museum to the public at least once a week.
In 1912, the museum became known as "The Guildford Borough and Surrey Archaeological Society Museum." It was funded by both the Society and the Council. Soon, it was open to the public three afternoons a week for free. By 1933, the Council took over running the museum completely.
In 2009, Guildford Museum joined forces with the local Art Gallery. This brought even more amazing art into the museum's care.
Amazing Collections to Explore
Guildford Museum looks after more than 75,000 objects! These items date from around 500,000 BC (that's super old!) right up to today. Most objects are from Guildford or the wider Surrey area. The museum usually only collects items from this region.
The collections are split into four main types:
Archaeology: Ancient Discoveries
The archaeology collection started way back in 1854. Many items are still on loan from the Surrey Archaeological Society.
- Cool finds: Sceptre handles and religious headdresses from a Romano-British temple at Wanborough.
- Stone Age tools: A large collection of Mesolithic handaxes from Farnham.
- Tudor history: Everything found during the excavation of the Tudor site at Farnborough Hill Convent.
- Coin Hoard: A small part of the Reigate hoard is here. This was a huge collection of medieval coins found in 1990. It included gold and silver coins from England, Scotland, and France!
Local History: Stories of Guildford
This collection began in 1905, focusing on the everyday lives of people. In 1907, Gertrude Jekyll, a famous garden designer, donated her entire collection of "Old Surrey" objects. Many of these are still on display!
- Royal napkin: A napkin with an embroidered picture of Queen Elizabeth I. People believe she actually used it!
- War history: Pieces of a Zeppelin bomb that fell on Guildford during World War I.
- Fashion through time: A green velvet suit from Carnaby Street, London, from the 1970s.
Needlework: Stitches in Time
The museum also has a special collection of needlework.
- Samplers: Beautiful embroidered samplers from the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Lending quilt: A unique quilt from a local church that was lent out.
- Surrey Smocks: A wide range of smocks (special shirts) worn by farm workers in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
Art: Local Masterpieces
Since merging with the Guildford House Art Gallery in 2009, the museum also looks after Guildford Borough Council's art collection. This includes works by John Russell, an artist born in Guildford.
Where to Find the Museum
Guildford Museum is on Quarry Street, almost across from St Mary's Church. St Mary's is the oldest building in town, dating back to around the year 1000!
The museum first moved into Castle Arch in 1898. This building's foundations actually use parts of the old Guildford Castle gatehouse. The museum grew bigger in 1911 with an extension built in the Castle Arch gardens. This new part held the "Old Surrey Life" collection from Gertrude Jekyll.
In 1927, the museum expanded again. The Council bought a 19th-century house at 48 Quarry Street. They turned it into a special room for the Archaeological Society's historical documents.
Temporary Exhibitions
The museum always has new and exciting temporary exhibitions. These change regularly, so there's always something new to see!
- Hidden House Histories: This exhibition explored objects hidden in houses for good luck or superstition.
- The Women's Royal Army Corps in Guildford: This showed the history of the WRAC when their headquarters were in Guildford (from 1949 to 1992).
A past exhibition called "A Few of My Favourite Things" was very popular. Local people, including Anne Milton MP and Bishop of Guildford Christopher Hill, chose their favourite objects from the museum's hidden collections to display.
- Ancient tool: A 400,000-year-old hand axe from Swanscombe in Kent.
- Royal napkin: The napkin believed to have been used by Queen Elizabeth I, showing her portrait and St George fighting the Dragon.
Museum Services for You
Entry to Guildford Museum is free, even to see items not usually on display (you might need an appointment for this).
- Finds identification: If you find an interesting old object, you can bring it to the museum. Their experts might be able to tell you what it is!
- School loans: Schools and groups can borrow special boxes of objects to use in their lessons.
- Victorian schoolroom: Right next to the museum, there's a Victorian schoolroom. Kids aged 6–12 can experience what school was like long ago.
- Talks: Museum staff can also give talks about the history of Guildford and Surrey.
See also
- Surrey Archaeological Society
- Surrey History Centre
