Watford Museum facts for kids
Watford Museum (the former Benskins Brewery building)
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| Established | 14 March 1982 |
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| Location | 194 Watford High Street, Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom |
| Type | Local museum |
| Accreditation | Hertfordshire Association of Museums; Museums, Libraries and Archives Council |
| Owner | Watford Borough Council |
| Public transit access |  Watford High Street |
| Nearest car park | On site |
The Watford Museum is a local museum in Watford, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom. It is owned by the Watford Borough Council. You can find it on the Lower High Street in Watford.
The museum first opened its doors in 1982. It is located inside a beautiful old building. This building is a Grade II-listed Georgian town house. This means it is a very important old building. Before it became a museum, it was the home of Benskins Brewery. The museum has many different collections. These include fine art, local history, and sports items. There is also a special collection about the history of the Cassiobury Estate.
History of the Museum Building
The grand house at 194 Watford High Street was built around 1775. It was built for the Dyson family. However, records show that a brewery was working on this spot even earlier, since 1750. The house has three floors and is made of red bricks. It was built in an old, grand style called Georgian neoclassical. The front of the house has a special triangular top part called a pediment. In the middle of this pediment is a round window. On each side of the house, there are two smaller parts that were added around 1807.
The house was bought in 1867 by Joseph Benskin. It continued to be a brewery until 1957. At that time, another company called Ind Coope took it over. Later, the main house was turned into offices. In 1952, English Heritage officially listed it as a Grade II building. This means it is protected because of its history and special design.
The building became the Watford Museum in 1982. It was officially opened on March 14, 1982. A famous actor and comedian, Terry Scott, who was born in Watford, opened it. The museum celebrated its 30th birthday in 2011. The museum will be closing in October 2023 for about two years. It is moving to a newly updated Watford Town Hall.
What You Can See: The Collections
The museum has a really important collection of fine art. This includes the special Cassiobury Collection. You can see artworks that used to belong to the Earl of Essex. These were kept at Cassiobury House. Some paintings show the Cassiobury Estate. For example, there is A view of Cassiobury Park by John Wootton. You can also see View of the South-West Front of Cassiobury House by J. M. W. Turner. Other paintings include Cassiobury Park Gates by Charles Vickers. There is also a painting from 1831 of the Cassiobury House Winter Dining Room by William Henry Hunt. The museum also has paintings of several Earls of Essex.
Other artworks on display include oil paintings from the Netherlands and Belgium. These are by artists like Adam François van der Meulen and Klaes Molenaer. You can also see works by Pieter Neeffs the Elder and Adriaen van Ostade. The museum also has paintings by famous artists like Turner, Peter Lely, Ronald Pope, and Joshua Reynolds. The museum has been able to buy many of these artworks with help from the Art Fund. This help allowed them to get paintings by Henry Edridge, Sir Hubert von Herkomer, William Henry Hunt, and John Wootton. They also got a set of 21 pictures from the Illustrations of the Book of Job by William Blake.
The museum also has a collection of sculptures. These are made from materials like bronze, copper, and steel. The artists include Mary Bromet, Charles Browne, Charles Dyson-Smith, Jacob Epstein, Mario Negri, Ronald Pope, and Takaaki.
You can also learn about the history of Watford Junction railway station at the museum. There is a small area dedicated to the history of Watford Football Club. Here, you can see sports items and even a stage costume worn by Elton John. The museum also keeps old documents, photos, and diaries. These tell stories about people who lived in Watford, local government, important families, and businesses. About one-third of everything the museum owns is on display for visitors to see.
How to Get There
Watford Museum is on the lower part of Watford High Street. It is about 160 meters (0.1 miles) south of the Harlequin Shopping Centre. The closest train station is Watford High Street London Overground station. The museum is easy to reach from the A41 road and the M1 motorway. You can also get there by bike using National Cycle Route 6.
