Lancaster City Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lancaster City Museum |
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The museum, seen across Market Square
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| Former names | Old Town Hall |
| General information | |
| Type | Museum |
| Town or city | Lancaster, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 54°02′56″N 2°48′06″W / 54.0489°N 2.8017°W |
| Construction started | 1781 |
| Completed | 1783 |
| Opened | (as Lancaster City Museum) 1923 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Sandstone ashlar with slate roof |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Major Thomas Jarrett |
| Main contractor | Robert Charnley and Robert Dickinson |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: City Museum, The Old Town Hall | |
| Designated: | 22 December 1953 |
| Reference #: | 1194971 |
The Lancaster City Museum is a cool place to visit in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It's not just any museum; it's located inside the old Town Hall building right in Market Square.
Contents
History of the Museum Building
The building where the museum is located is very old and special. It's known as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's an important historic place. A person named Major Thomas Jarrett designed it. It was built a long time ago, between 1781 and 1783. A fancy dome-like top, called a cupola, was added in 1782.
The building was made bigger in 1871 and again in 1886. For many years, it served as Lancaster's Town Hall. But in 1910, the town's government moved to a new building nearby. After that, the old Town Hall was turned into the museum you see today, opening its doors in 1923.
Building Design and Features
This museum building has two floors and is made from sandstone. It has a grand entrance with four large columns. The front of the building has five sections with round-arched windows. In the middle, under the columns, there's a round-arched door with four steps leading up to it.
On top of the building, there's the special cupola. It has a square base, then an eight-sided part with a clock face. Above that is a round section with columns, topped by a dome. The clock inside the cupola is from 1851. It was a gift from Henry Gregson, who was the Mayor in 1851. Someone still winds this clock by hand every week!
The ground floor of the building used to be open. It was a market area where people sold grain and butter. Later, these open spaces were filled in with the windows you see now. Over the years, this building has been used for many things. Besides being the Town Hall and now the City Museum, it also held the town court and even had small jail cells. Banks like Barclays and National Westminster also had branches here for a while.
Museum Collections and Exhibits
The Lancaster City Museum first opened in 1923. Its collections show the amazing history of Lancaster and the areas around it. You can learn about ancient times and how the city grew.
Highlights of the Collection
One of the most exciting things to see is the Lancaster Roman Tombstone. This stone memorial is from around 100 AD. It was found near Lancaster in 2005. The tombstone shows a Roman soldier on horseback, with a defeated enemy at his feet. It's a really important piece that tells us a lot about Lancaster's dramatic past.
The museum also has the Silverdale Hoard. This is a collection of Viking treasures that was found in the Lancaster area in 2011. It's a fantastic example of Viking history right here in England. The museum also includes the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, which tells the story of a local army regiment.
The museum has been recognized for its high standards. It received "Accredited" status from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. Now, this accreditation is managed by Arts Council England.
Gallery
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The rear of the museum, on New Street, 2011
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View to the east, across Market Square, from the museum entrance, 2011
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Lancaster, Lancashire
- List of works by Thomas Harrison
