The Beverley Treasure House facts for kids
The Treasure House, Beverley
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| Location | Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England |
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| Type | History museum |
The Champney Treasure House is a cool place in Beverley, England. It's run by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. This building is a main spot for learning about history and finding information. Inside, you'll find the East Riding Archives, the Beverley Library, a Museum, and the Beverley Art Gallery. There's also a coffee shop and a gift shop. Don't forget to visit 'The Tower' on the top floor! From there, you can see amazing 360-degree views of the Beverley Minster and the whole town.
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Discovering the Treasure House's Past
The original library building on Champney Road in Beverley was finished in 1906. People started planning to make the building bigger in 1997. Many groups, like the Beverley Town Council and English Heritage, helped with these early plans.
Work on The Treasure House began in October 2004. Local builders worked with archaeologists and important council members. To mark the start, a time capsule was buried. It held items showing what life was like in the East Riding back then. The plan is to open this capsule in 2054, fifty years later. Students from local schools, like Longcroft School, even put their ideas about the future inside.
The building was supposed to open in autumn 2006. This would have been 100 years after the first library opened. But it was finally finished and opened in 2007. A grant of £3.9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund helped pay for the project.
The Treasure House will get a big update starting in September 2023. It will be closed until late 2024 for this work. The updates will include a new customer service area. Also, the registration service will move into the building.
Exploring the Treasure House: What You Can See
The Treasure House has many exciting areas for you to explore!
East Riding Archives and Local Studies
Right at the main entrance, you'll find the research room for the East Riding archives. An archive is a place where old and important documents are kept. Here, you can look at books, old newspapers, and rare documents from the East Riding area. You can also see lots of pictures. Experienced archivists are there to help you find what you need.
Next to the research room is a special workshop. Through large windows, you can watch experts called conservators. They carefully fix and restore old pictures, books, and other documents. It's amazing to see them bring history back to life!
Beverley Library
At the end of the main hallway is the Beverley Library. This is where you can borrow books for fun or for school. You can also find reference books to help with homework. The library has computers you can use and newspapers to read. There's even a special area just for children!
Museum Galleries: East Riding Treasures
On the first floor, you'll discover the museum galleries. One main display is called 'East Riding Treasures'. Here, you can learn about the area's geology, nature, and history. You'll also see displays about the people who lived here long ago.
One very important display is the South Cave Weapons Cache. This is a collection of Iron Age swords. These swords are very old and tell us a lot about ancient times. The gallery also has fun, hands-on activities for kids. You can solve puzzles, try on dressing-up costumes, and even draw pictures.
In a nearby hallway, there's another gallery. This one has temporary museum displays. These exhibits change often. Sometimes they are put together by local community groups. Other times, they are touring shows from big national museums.
Beverley Art Gallery
The Beverley Art Gallery first opened its doors in 1910. It has two main areas to show art. The main gallery shows off some of the best pieces from the gallery's collection. This includes art from the Champney Collection. You can also see works by famous local artists Fred and Mary Elwell. One amazing painting is 'A Panic' by Henry William Banks Davis. It's thought to be the biggest painting of cattle in the world!
The exhibition gallery shows different kinds of art. You might see art by well-known local artists. Sometimes, there are works by international artists. Other times, big national art shows come to visit. The gallery also has many events and a group of supporters called the 'Friends of Beverley Art Gallery'.
Recent and Upcoming Art Exhibitions
Here are some of the cool art shows that have been or will be at Beverley Art Gallery:
- David Remfry RA retrospective, coming in 2025
- Matisse: Drawing with Scissors, a Hayward Gallery Touring Exhibition, from May 27 to July 1, 2023
- Remnants, from March 1 to June 30, 2023
- Walk This Way, from January 21 to March 18, 2023
- Reflections of Japan in East Yorkshire, from October 16, 2021 to March 26, 2022
