Staffordshire County Museum facts for kids
| Location | Servants' Quarters, Shugborough Hall, Milford, Staffordshire, England |
|---|---|
| Type | County Museum |
| Owner | Staffordshire County Council |
The Staffordshire County Museum is a cool place to learn about life in Staffordshire, England. It's located inside the old servants' quarters at Shugborough Hall. This means you can explore what life was like for the people who worked there long ago.
The museum has amazing restored rooms. You can see a Victorian kitchen, a laundry room, and even a brewhouse. They also have special displays that change over time.
In November 2016, the National Trust took over managing the Shugborough Estate. Because of this, the museum at Shugborough was closed for a short time. But don't worry! In March 2017, the estate reopened. Some of the museum's displays are still there in the servants' quarters and on the farm.
The Staffordshire County Council plans to move the main County Museum Service. It will go to a new place called the Staffordshire History Centre. This new center will be at the Staffordshire Record Office.
Contents
What You Can See: The Collections
The Staffordshire County Museum collects items that show what life was like in Staffordshire. They focus on the last 200 years. The museum displays many objects from the Staffordshire County Council's huge collection.
Amazing Objects and Photos
The collection has over 25,000 everyday items. It also includes 35,000 photographs. Plus, there are 1,800 pieces of fine art and decorative art. Many of the items are about cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry at home.
Some special areas of the collection include:
- Old clothes and fabrics
- Medical tools
- Coins and medals
- Old documents
- Stories of how people lived
- Different types of old vehicles
The museum has a very large photo collection. It contains more than 35,000 pictures. These photos show places, buildings, and people in Staffordshire. They also show old jobs, groups, activities, fun events, and transport since the 1850s.
Exploring Staffordshire's Past
The museum's collections help us understand Staffordshire's history. They show how people lived and farmed.
You can learn about:
- Old traditions and beliefs
- Public services like police and fire
- How people learned in schools
- Ways people communicated and used money
- Wars and defense
- How people traveled
- Old shops and pubs
- Different crafts and jobs
- What childhood was like
- Sports and entertainment
- Health and raising babies
Special Collections to Discover
The museum has a collection of horse-drawn carriages. These are famous around the world! Some carriages belonged to the Earl of Shrewsbury at Ingestre. Others were owned by the Dyott family from Lichfield.
Another cool part is the Douglas Haywood Puppet Collection. It's very important for the country. The museum also has a great costume collection. It features clothes and accessories from the last 400 years. This includes wedding dresses, sewing samples, and servants' uniforms.
You can also see shoes and boots from Lotus Ltd. This was the last shoe factory in Stafford and Stone. The fine art collection shows famous places, landscapes, and people from Staffordshire. It includes works by well-known artists. Some of these are Thomas Peploe Wood, Samuel Peploe Wood, John Prescott Knight, and Mabel Frances Layng.
Where to See the Collections
These collections are shown in different areas of the museum. Some galleries explore themes like health, toys, and old clothes. You can also see them in the restored Victorian servants' quarters. There's even a recreated school room, a chemist's shop, and a tailor's shop.
The museum's farming tools and items are at Shugborough Park Farm. You can see the fine art and craft collections in special shows. These shows happen at the Shire Hall, Stafford. They are also displayed at the County Museum and Shugborough Park Farm. More and more photos and objects from the museum are now available to see online.
