Herne Bay Museum and Gallery facts for kids
Georgian building
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| Established | 1932 as Herne Bay Records Society 1936: 53 Mortimer St, Herne Bay 1939: Library, Herne Bay High St 1996: 12 William St, Herne Bay |
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| Location | 12 William Street, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 6BS |
| Type | Local history museum, history of the seaside, art gallery, heritage centre |
| Public transit access | Herne Bay railway station; Stagecoach for buses |
The Seaside Museum Herne Bay is a cool local museum in Herne Bay, Kent, England. It started way back in 1932. This museum is special because it shows off the area's history, from ancient times to how Herne Bay became a popular seaside town. You can also see local art and even a real World War II bouncing bomb! The museum is now run by the Herne Bay Museum Trust, and it reopened in July 2015.
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Discover the Museum's History
The museum first opened in 1932 as the Herne Bay Records Society. At first, the exhibits were in a hall on Mortimer Street. Later, in 1939, the museum moved to the High Street, above the Public Library. In 1996, it found its current home at 12 William Street. This building is a lovely old Georgian style building. William Street used to be the main shopping street in Herne Bay a long time ago.
For many years, a local historian named Harold Gough helped run the museum. The items you see in the museum are owned by the Herne Bay Historical Records Society. They lend them to the museum so everyone can enjoy them. The museum also has art shows and fun events for visitors.
Meet Dr. Tom Bowes
Dr. Thomas Armstrong Bowes (1869–1954) was a local doctor who loved history. He was also an antiquarian, which means he collected old things. He saved many ancient tools, pottery, and other items that workers found in the area. He even took photos of historical objects to show during his talks.
After he retired in 1930, Dr. Bowes started the Herne Bay Records Society and Museum in 1932. He gave many of his own collections to the museum in 1936. He was the president of the Herne Bay Records Society from 1949 to 1951.
Meet Harold Gough
Harold Gough followed in Dr. Tom Bowes' footsteps. He was a local writer and historian who helped run the museum for many years. He created exhibits about famous local landmarks like the Herne Bay Clock Tower and Herne Bay Pier. He was the president of the Herne Bay Historical Records Society from 1992 to 2008.
Explore the Museum's Exhibits
The museum's collections tell the story of Herne Bay over 60 million years! You can see fossils, tools from the Stone Age, and items from the Roman fort and Anglo-Saxon church at Reculver. There are also exhibits about smuggling, how Herne Bay grew as a Victorian seaside resort, and what life was like during the two world wars.
The museum helps people learn about evolution and feel connected to their local history. Most of the items in the museum belong to the Herne Bay Historical Trust. They received these items from Dr. Tom Bowes' collection.
The Famous Bouncing Bomb
One of the most exciting things to see is a prototype of the World War II Barnes Wallis Highball bouncing bomb. This bomb was tested in the sea near Reculver in 1943. The area was perfect for testing because the water was shallow, making it easy to get the bomb back at low tide.
The designers filled the Highball with a mix of concrete and chalk to make it heavy, like a real bomb. The Army found this exhibit on the seabed in 1997, and it has been carefully preserved for you to see. A later version of this bomb, called the Upkeep bouncing bomb, was used in the famous 1943 Dambuster raids.
This "bomb" was actually more like a mine. It was designed to skip across the water, like a stone, to jump over torpedo nets. Then, it would hit a dam and roll down to a depth of 30 feet before exploding.
Ancient Finds: Archaeology and Palaeontology
- Archaeology* is the study of human history through digging up old things. *Palaeontology* is the study of fossils to learn about ancient life.
The museum has amazing archaeological finds, like items from the Anglo-Saxon church at Reculver and Roman objects from the nearby fort. For palaeontology, you can see mammoth tusks! There's even a fun activity for kids to find sharks' teeth in trays at the museum, and then look for them in the sand at low tide.
You can also see fossils found in 1939 at Bishopstone. These items are 50–60 million years old! They include sharks' teeth, fossil wood, pine cones, and ancient shells. These were all washed out of the cliffs by the sea.
The Roman Fort at Reculver
The Roman fort at Reculver was built soon after 43 CE. Back then, it was about a mile from the sea, at the end of the Wantsum channel. This channel used to separate Thanet from mainland Kent. The fort was probably there to protect the Roman ships anchored in the channel.
It was rebuilt in the third century CE to defend the coast from Saxon longship attacks. The fort was quite large, with thick walls, gates, and ditches. Inside, it had roads, a main building, stores, barracks, and even a bath-house. There was also a village nearby for people who worked at the fort, and a road leading to Canterbury.
The museum displays many Roman items found at the fort or in the nearby sea. These include building blocks, pottery, an iron pin, an arrowhead, a burial urn, clay figures, a marble carving, and lamps.
Anglo-Saxon Reculver
Long after the Roman fort was left empty, in 669 CE, King Egbert allowed a priest named Bassa to build the Reculver church. Most of the church was taken down in 1809, leaving two towers that helped ships navigate. The sea has also worn away half of the old Roman fort.
Some Anglo-Saxon finds include a large glass beaker found in 1830. There's also a pottery bowl from the fifth or sixth century, called the Marshside Bowl, found by a farmer's son. A large blue glass bead was also found near Reculver.
Victorian Seaside Fun
Herne Bay became a popular Victorian seaside resort. The museum shows what holidays were like back then.
Penny Licks
In the 1800s, ice started to be brought from the Arctic, and ice cream became popular. The first ice cream cones were actually small glass cups called "penny licks." You could get a "penn'orth" (a penny's worth) of ice cream in them. But the people selling ice cream from barrows didn't have good ways to wash the glasses. They just wiped them clean, which wasn't very hygienic! Because of this, "penny licks" were banned in 1926.
"What the Butler Saw" Machine
You can see a "What the Butler Saw" machine, which is probably from the Edwardian period. These were popular tourist attractions in amusement arcades on piers or along the seafront. They were like early movies! You would flick through a set of cards with pictures to see a moving scene. They were cheap and fun. A typical scene might show a butler peeking through a keyhole to see his lady employer.
Wall Displays
The museum has old photographs showing Herne Bay as a seaside resort, local events, and how the museum itself grew. There's a story about a girl who won a medal for saving her sister from drowning. You can also see pictures of the fire brigade, the old bathing station, and the famous clock tower.
Local History Treasures
The museum also has exhibits about Herne Bay's general local history. You can see a model of a pumping engine from the old Herne Bay Waterworks Company, made in 1884. There's also a special seal press used by the local council until 1974 to put an official seal on documents.
The museum covers Herne Bay's wartime history, including a baby's gas mask from 1939. Among the social history exhibits, there's a spinning wheel used for making wool. It shows how people used to make their own clothes.
Art Gallery
The museum has paintings by local artists Thomas Sidney Cooper and William Sidney Cooper. They painted sheep and cattle in the countryside around Herne Bay. The Art Gallery focuses on local scenes and art by artists connected to the area. The museum also plans workshops for schools, where students can learn about art from real artists.
Special Exhibitions
The museum often has special exhibitions. For example, there was an exhibition about the colour blue in 2008, and one about the cartoonist Giles in 2009. A local group called Herne Bay Living History helps with some of these exhibitions. In late 2009, there was an exhibition called "Make do and Mend," which showed how people reused everyday objects during wartime. The museum also hosts craft activities and quizzes for families. You can also see a permanent exhibit about Dr. Tom Bowes, featuring a wax model of him with his collection.
Fun Activities: Story Time and Quizzes
The museum often has fun activities for families. From October 2009 to January 2010, there was a "Herne Bay at War" quiz for families. For younger children (under five), there was a story-time hour once a month in 2009.
Images for kids
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Penny lick glasses
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Anglo-Saxon glass beaker
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World War II baby's gas mask
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1880s model of waterworks pumping engine
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Official seal press
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Saxony spinning wheel, part of 2009 "Make Do and Mend" exhibition
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Search boxes containing coarse sand and fossil sharks' teeth
Saving the Museum
Threat of Closure
Around 2009, the museum was at risk of closing. The Canterbury City Council was going to make a decision in February 2010. This news caused a lot of discussion and worry in the community. In the end, the Council voted to close the museums in 2011. However, they agreed to fund them for another year (2010–2011) while they looked for ways to keep them open.
The Museum is Saved!
Good news came on December 9, 2010! The Herne Bay Times newspaper announced that the museum had been saved. About 2,000 fans of the museum had fought to keep it open. The Department of Culture and Enterprise agreed to a plan to save it.
The plan included charging a small entry fee of £2 for visitors who didn't live in Herne Bay. Local residents and children would still get in for free. This helped the museum stay open for everyone to enjoy!
See also
