Explore collections

The collection has originated from several sources, since the formation of Bawdsey Radar Group in 2002.

• There are physical artefacts, from the period 1930s to 1970s, which were given to the Group/Trust. The exhibition also contains artefacts which were part of the equipment originally in the Transmitter building (and which were too large to remove in the 1950s) and so date from the 1930s.
• There is paper-based material (photos, reports letters etc) and other information which is computer based such as Word documents, photographs and the oral history audio and video records. These relate to the 1930s to 1990s and have been collected since that time. Most of the oral history records were collected in the years 2005 to 2007 in the Heritage Lottery funded ‘Shout and Whisper’ project.
• Also recently donated to the Trust are items which were developed from radar or used technology which was developed for radar. These have usually been donated by people who have visited the transmitter block, or previously worked at Bawdsey or have seen the website.
• There are some contemporary hands-on simulations and information boards and screens, which were designed and developed as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded project from 2016 to 2017.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2021

Licence: CC BY-NC

The Scope of the Bawdsey Transmitter Block Museum collection is to acquire, conserve, document and make available to the public, items which relate to the discovery, development and use of radar at Bawdsey. The time frame is from 1936, when Bawdsey manor was acquired for radar research, to 1991, when RAF Bawdsey closed, with emphasis on the years from 1936 to 1976.

The scope of the collection includes ‘Core Collection Items’, ‘Exhibition Items’ and ‘Handling Items’

Core Collection Items include relevant radar-related artefacts from the above time frame. They include unique or rare, first hand, original photographs and written material, including letters, memoirs and books. They also include oral history sound and video recordings relating to the above time frame by the people who were involved with radar at Bawdsey, but which were often written or recorded more recently. Except in exceptional circumstances, these accessioned items are permanently kept at the museum.

Exhibition Items are usually more modern and include interactive displays, computer-based illustrations of past and current radars and developments from radar. These are used especially for interpretation and teaching purposes, may change with time and are usually kept at the museum.

Handling Items include copies of exhibition and core collection items which can be used for hands-on and educational purposes. They are used to inform visitors and the public of the life and work of people who were involved directly or indirectly with radar at Bawdsey. These are usually kept at the museum but can be used as part of external exhibitions and to accompany talks at other venues.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2021

Licence: CC BY-NC

Social History Collection

This is one of the largest groups of material held by the museum and comprises a range of items related to the community, domestic and social life of the people of Copeland.

Subjects

Social History

Archaeology Collection

St Bees shroud c.1300, the d’Irton tomb slab, a series of quern stones and a glass bottle from Hardknott Roman are the most significant items in this small collection of local material which also includes some bulk archaeology and two recent excavation archives.

Subjects

Archaeology

Fine Art Collection

The collection of paintings, watercolours and drawings all have local associations, either because they are produced by local artists or depict local views and personalities. Significant groups are the Copeland Collection (mainly paintings) and a good collection of maritime paintings by nationally known artists including Robert Salmon. There are also oil paintings by Mathias Read and a small collection of engravings, etchings and lithographs of local places and people.

Subjects

Fine Art; Decorative and Applied Art Collection; The museum holds a large collection of Whitehaven pottery of the 19th century and other souvenir ware associated with the area. An important item is the ‘slave trade’ enamelled glass goblet made by William Beilby c.1763.

Subjects

Decorative and Applied Arts

Medals Collection

Military medals.

Subjects

Medals

Numismatics Collection

Some coins and local tokens.

Subjects

Numismatics

Arms and Armour Collection

Items include firearms, swords and gas masks and other items associated with the general military and wartime history of the area.

Subjects

Arms and Armour

Biology Collection

A small collection of birds and mammals, herbarium and birds’ eggs (the latter unprovenanced).

Subjects

Biology

Costume and Textile Collection

A large collection of costume with aims to acquire more items of local provenance.

Subjects

Costume and Textile

Geology Collection

A large geology collection including local examples of rocks, minerals and fossils.

Subjects

Geology

Maritime Collection

Maritime history collections include models, navigational instruments, photographs, documents and charts.

Subjects

Maritime

Science and Industry Collection

Industries covered include coal and iron mining (including objects such as lamps, tokens, instruments, photographs, documents and plans), the chemical industry and the nuclear industry.

Subjects

Science and Industry

Photographic Collection

The museum has amassed over 5000 local images (B/W negatives) through active collecting and copying of original material and in addition has a collection of 3550 photographic prints, postcards, glass negatives and magic lantern slides.

Subjects

Photography

Archives Collection

Archival material includes maps and a library of over 2000 books mainly relating to collection themes and local history. There are also bound copies of local newspapers.

Subjects

Archives

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

The collections have evolved steadily throughout the relatively brief lifetime of the museum. There have been many different donors, but no major single benefactor. Virtually none of the artefacts have any significant commercial value, and no artefact has ever been singled out as ‘key’ in any way. There have been no notable disposals either.

An informal relationship with Natural England led to the museum becoming some years ago a de facto partner in the public display of fossils from Horn Park Quarry.

In recent years increasing emphasis has been laid on acquiring heritage-related information, even when unsupported by actual artefacts in the collections.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2024

Licence: CC BY-NC

Defined area

The Permanent Collection consists of objects and images relating to Beaminster and local parishes and villages including Broadwindsor, Burstock, Chedington, South Perrott, Corscombe, Toller Whelme, Halstock, Hooke, Mapperton, Mosterton, Netherbury, Seaborough, Salway Ash, Thorncombe and Stoke Abbott.

These parishes are defined in the 2007 map of Dorset Museums catchment areas.

The Support Collections comprise objects and images which, although not accessioned, have been accepted into the Museum for the purposes of reference and research, education activities and for display purposes.

Agriculture

Historically the main occupation of the area was agriculture and this is represented by a collection of agricultural implements and small machinery.

Archaeology

Archaeological material includes tesserae from the Romano-British villa at Halstock, a Roman coin (see (2.5.9) 8.3.9. -Numismatics), and small finds from other periods.

Archives

The collection includes documents and ephemera relating to local organisations and institutions. A number of important items have been deposited at the Dorset History Centre, including Beaminster Congregation Church records: registers, minute books and accounts.

Costumes & Textiles

The collection comprises women’s’ clothing, mainly from the Victorian period; a bandsman’s uniform of the Beaminster Brass Band; a nurse’s uniform; Second World War items including Home Guard, Women’s Land Army and AFS, and a tank suit; 1950s wedding dress; Brownie uniform.

Decorative & Applied Art

A silver teapot and jug given by Beaminster inhabitants to a parish Overseer of the Poor in 1834; banners for the Primrose League Beaminster Habitation No. 359 and the Melplash Women’s Institute; a marble memorial to a prominent local non-conformist, James Daniel; silver goblet awarded at Beaminster Poultry Show 1892; bas relief by David Keech; aisle decorations from Holy Trinity Church.

Fine Art

An early 20th century portrait in oil of a Beaminster benefactor, Peter Meech, by Victor Horsburgh; prints of local buildings and views including St. Mary’s Church by Abel Bugler, a local artist; a painting by Dr Lake.

Geology

A collection of ammonites and other fossils from Horn Park Quarry.

Medical

A 19th century domestic medicine chest; manuscript will of an 18th century Beaminster doctor, William Dunning.

Music

An early 19th century chamber organ originally belonging to the Congregational Church (still played on appropriate occasions); drums and tuba from the Beaminster Band.

Numismatics

A Roman coin AD77-78; two 17th century trade tokens issued by local tradesmen; sack tokens; medals presented for school attendance and for leisure activities; military badges and insignia.

Personalia

Personal items associated with prominent local persons including Richard Hine, chemist, photographer and historian.

Photography

A collection of images of local places, people and events, including images taken by Beaminster photographers Richard Hine and WH Guppy.

Social History

A major part of the Permanent Collection consists of objects associated with the commercial heritage of Beaminster and the nearby villages, including shops, businesses and trades and local industry. Objects relating to domestic life, religion, schools, sports and leisure also form an important part of the collection.

SUPPORT COLLECTIONS

• (a) Items held within the Support Collections are not accessioned and therefore do not form part of the Museum’s Permanent Collection.
• (b) A Photographic Support Collection contains digital copies of original images loaned to the Museum for the purpose of display and/or as reference material.
• (c) An Education Support Collection contains objects and images to enhance learning within the Museum or for outreach activities.
• (d) An Oral History Collection comprises recorded reminiscences by local people.
• (e) The Reference Section comprises books and written materials, maps and information reference files.
• (f) The Flax & Hemp display contains several artefacts purchased or commissioned for the purpose, but which are non-accessionable for a variety of reasons.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2024

Licence: CC BY-NC

Agriculture

The agriculture and rural life collection comprises craft tools, buildings and objects of processes, transport and paintings, photographs and record books. Both farmsteads are listed buildings and house the main collections and displays. Beamish valley with 2500 acres and 150 acres of woodland shows how the land was worked in the 2 periods- 1825 and 1913. There are 10 acres of woodland coppice and 20 acres of ridge and furrow. The land below Pockerley Manor is being restored to a Georgian landscape of stone walling, ponds, hedges, oak riven fencing and ridge and furrow ploughing. Pockerley Mill will be restored as a working corn mill and the water races, mills and ponds are also being restored. The collections are based on farm sale and craft inventories and are represented by buildings and object collections, especially craft tools for rural crafts of joinery, blacksmithing, farriery, cooperage, wheelwrighting, milling etc. The agricultural collections concentrate on water, wind, horse and steam power before the tractor, but crop and animal husbandry are important with a herd of Durham shorthorn cattle, a flock of Teeswater sheep, Clyesdale horses, Cleveland Bay horses and Dales ponies. There are also paintings, photographs, engravings and stud and flock books.

Art and Design

The collection ranges from 18th to 20th century concentrating on quilts, coverlets, rag mats, lodge banners, paintings, furniture, brassware, pottery and glassware, corn dollies and walking sticks. Beamish’s collection of north country quilts is internationally known. Some 350 examples cover the period from c. 1820 up to the 1950s and represent whole cloth, strippy and patchwork and applique examples. There are 300 rag mats; 100 lodge banners relate to mineworkers, enginemen, carpenters and joiners, agricultural workers and friendly societies, many by George Tutill of London. The animal painting collection includes Durham Shorthorn cattle by George Garrard, Thomas Weaver and Thomas Bewick and nave work of horses and pigs and of pit scenes, portraits and northern life. The vernacular furniture collection is extensive, partly catalogued by Dr Bill Cotton. There are also 600 locally carved knitting sheaths from 1770 to the 1900s. Regional pottery and glassware are represented by Moore’s ware and local slipware (Pockerley mill ground flint for the Southwick Pottery in Sunderland). Glassware is represented by examples from Gateshead and Sunderland. There are also collections of corn dollies and carved walking sticks. Collection referred to in ‘North Country folk art’ by Peter Brears; ‘English Nave Art’ by James Ayres; ‘North country quilts and coverlets’ by Rosemary E Allen.

Archives

The Resource Collection includes photographs, film, books, trade catalogues, posters and oral history tapes. The Photographic Archive houses over 300,000 photographic images dating from the 1860s to the present on a computerised laser disc system. The images include black and white prints, colour prints, lantern slied, glass plate and other negatives and transparencies. The major holdings are Durham Advertiser, Agricultural Gazette, Farmers’ Guardian and Huwood’s Mining Machinery Company collections, BBC stills and other major modern collections. The photo database also includes many images of items in the collections, illustrations and other material. There are 100 films of 8 to 16mm of events and activities in the North East; most are on video and will be digitised. The book collection is 64,000 of late 18th, 19th and 20th century date, many antiquarian in nature. The 5,000 in number, nationally important collection of trade catalogues of suppliers and manufacturers, cover everything from kitchen ranges, decorative castings, banners, agricultural implements and tools, sports and pastimes to industrial machinery. The earliest catalogue dates back to c.1825 though the majority of the catalogues date between 1860 and 2003. The poster collection includes 19th and 20th century printed posters, leaflets, ephemera, topographical material, maps and an important collection of NER and LNER posters. The oral history collection has 800 recordings.

Transport

The collections include wheeled vehicles and horse drawn, steam driven, colliery and early railways, garage and motor industry, electric tramways, railway manufacture and the North Eastern Railway. Transport is an important aspect of all the period areas and the collection includes a range of cycles, tricycles, velocipedes and boneshakers of 1860s, high bicycles of the 1880s and safety bicycles. Especially interseting is an Excelsior tricycle of 1882, Humber quadricycle of 1899, and delivery bikes for vendors, ice cream and a policeman; Motorcycles include 2 by Dene of Haymarket, Newcastle of 1912 and 1920, a 1916 Royal Enfield, a 1919 Triumph and a 1922 Matchless and sidecar. The collection covers the period 1860 -1960. There are 100 horse drawn vehicles including farm carts, Dales carts, harvest carts, long carts and rulleys or rolleys with regional variations; livestock ‘beasts’ carts, timber wagons, milk floats, butcher’s carts, Rington’s Tea van, ice cream cart, furniture removal van, brewery vehicles, hearses, Brougham coach, spider phaeton, gig, traps, colliery ambulance and horse bus. The internal combustion collection has vehicles from 1899 – 1940 including a Northern General SOS ‘QL’ bus of 1928 from Consett, a Dodge bus of 1931 from Rookhope, Weardale, a 1928 Austin hearse and a 1913 Daimler bus which carries visitors around the site; Daimler flat bed lorry of 1914, a Manchester built Model T Ford of 1914, a 1906 Armstrong Whitworth car and a Renault AX of 1913. Replica cars include a 1912 Armstrong Whitworth limosine, Daimler bus and a double decker J2503 used by Northern General Transport Co and a SHEW car of 1906 manufactured by the Seaham Harbour Engineering Works. Steam is represented by a 15 ton Aveling Porter of 1894 and a rare Mann tractor of 1928. The garage in the town with its showroom and workshop has early advertising, lamps, accessories, spare parts , handmade tyres, workshop machinery and a 1910 Harvey Frost vulcaniser. Early railways are represented by rail and sleeper blocks, a signal of 1840, the coal and lime drops of 1834 from Boldon, the Warden Law haulage engine of 1836, the Hetton loco of 1851, the ‘Steam elephant’ oil painting, building accounts and replica and a Throckley dandy cart. Also a replica ‘Locomotion’, 2 c.1840 chaldron waggons, 2 Tyneside chaldron waggons from the Wallsend engraving of 1815, 2 early passenger carriages one of ‘tub’ or ‘long’ type and one to a design of 1831 by Kitching of Darlington and the Throckley dandy cart. Colliery railways collection has a Hawthorn Leslie loco of 1914 from the Lambton system, a rare Robert Stephenson loco of 1891 from the Beamish waggonway and a Harton Colliery electric by Siemens of 1908, ‘Lewin’ of 1877, ‘Wellington’ of 1873 and the ‘Coffee Pot’ of 1871. The important NER material is the largest held anywhere and has on site the Rowley Station, Alnwick Gooods shed, Boldon Coal and Lime drops, Carr House Signal Box, Glanton Weighcabin, and footbridges from Dunston and Howden-le-Wear, a 1889 0-6-0 Class ‘C’ loco built in Gateshead, 2 carriages with the 1904 Clerestory restored, a ‘birdcage’ brake van and a variety of lamps, signs, signalling equipment and other items. The electric trams are fundamental to the visitors to the site and the fully restored fleet has Blackpool Corporation No 31 of 1901, Newcastle Corporation No 114 of 1901, Sheffield Corporation No 264 of 1907, Gateshead & District No 10 of 1925 and STCP Oporto No 196 of 1935, Sunderland No 16 of 1900, Newcastle’s No 501 trolleybus of 1948 and Keighley No 12 of 1924. The railway collection is referred to in ‘Early railways’ by Andy Guy and Tim Rees.

Social History

The collections cover the period from 1600 to present and make up about 50% of the museum holdings. They incorporate areas that are usually considered under Fine and Decorative art. The collections include domestic items, over the whole range of fixtures and fittings, utensils, heating, lighting, sanitation, laundry, food, drink, tobacco, hobbies, entertainment, sports and toys. Much is displayed in the Ravensworth Terrace town houses, the pit cottages and the Co-op store. Personal items include a large costume collection focussing on occupational, working and non fashion items, accessories and associated material. Town crafts, trades and professions are represented by buildings, furnishings and fittings and include parts of Handyside’s arcade from Newcastle. There are several complete shops and contents waiting to be fitted up in the town including a chemists, doctors surgery and bakers. Customs and traditions include the oral history tapes and an unpublished collection of manuscript folk music and song. Ethnic and other cultures are being developed. The education collection includes school furniture, teaching apparatus, maps, wall charts, object lessons, books and ephemera; most is housed in the Board school from East Stanley. Religion has the rebuilt Wesleyan Methodist chapel and a C of E church St Helen’s , a stone building of the 1820s, from Eston in Cleveland awaits rebuilding; there are small collections relating to primitive methodists and Roman Catholics. The social and political movements collection includes a dismantled Masonic temple from Park Terrace, Sunderland and other material relates to friendly societies, Trades Unions and the early Labour movement. Amenities, entertainment and sport have the Victorian cast iron bandstand in the town and objects for a municipal museum, a town library fittings, contents of an early cinema and models. Health and welfare includes medical items and ephemera. Emergency services have an 1890s horse drawn steam fire engine by Shand Mason, other fire engines and equipment, a horse drawn colliery ambulance and rescue equipment. The law enforcement collection has truncheons, arm and leg manacles, handcuffs, uniforms, and items from a police station. Parts of a magistrates court from South Shields are in store and a collection of standard weights and measures. Warfare and defence is largely civilian relating to World War I and II; a Krupp gun stands in the park. There is a Simplex armoured loco of 1916. There is a small collection of 16 mounted animal specimens and 3 spirit specimens that are considered to be social history as they are used for display in the various period settings.

Industry

The industrial collection covers coal mining, lead mining quarrying, iron and steel industries, shipbuilding, printing, building construction, water, gas, and a number of other industries. The coal mining collection covers the period 1850 -1930and relates to the Great Northern coalfield and has about 10,000 objects. The super-large and large collection includes 10 egg-end boilers and a Lancashire boiler; a sinking winch of 1864 from Silksworth Colliery; a rotary converter; power generators; surface compressors; shaft bottom pump bodies of 1842 form Murton Colliery; 2 horse gins; electric and pneumatic haulers; tipplers; Evans and Cameron pumps; a Waddle fan and engine; 4 colliery locos including ‘Hetton’ and 40 chaldron and other coal waggons; Simon Carves coke ovens of 1882 and associated tools. Medium size objects includes a complete lamp cabin, a dandy cart, coal tubs, cutters and workshop equipment; 52 banners are part of the Lodge banner collection; Coal movement collection has the Warden Law rope haulage engine of 1836 by Murrays of Chester-le Street, a coal drop of 1850 from Seaham Harbour and a crane engine by Hawks of 1830 designed by Chapman. The smallest objects are the majority and represent about 20% of the total objects in the museum collections. They include lamps, hand tools, pony harness, rescue equipment, patterns from Brancepeth Colliery, electric signalling equipment, slow banking gear, shot firing material and surveyors equipment. Coal mining images are about 22% of the total at about 12,000. There are 5 films from 1950 -1970; 2000 archive items relate to coal mining, mainly ephemera between 1840 -1994. Published material is trade catalogues, technical books and the library from the Brancepeth Colliery Institute. There are 200 oral history tapes or 31% of the total and about 200 paintings. The lead mining collection consists of hand tools, ore tubs, Patterson pans and an underground soil-box from Nenthead introduced after a cholera outbreak. Items no longer collected since Allenheads and Nenthead museums became active. Some items on loan to these museums. Quarrying has large and small objects and the collection is wide but not comprehensive. It includes the 100 ton Rushton-Bucyrus steam navvy of 1931, the largest survivor in the world, Head Wrightson vertical boiler ‘coffee pot’ loco of 1871, a rare steam drilling rig by J and R Thompson of Dunfermline and a steam scotch derrick from Doddington Quarry, Northumberland; a 12 ton millstone turning machine and extensive photographs in the photo archive. Iron and steel production and working the metal includes 19th century file cutter hammers, 70 ton steam hammer by Glen and Ross of Glasgow built in 1883 for the Darlington Forge and Engineering Co; an 1887 Black Hawthorn rail mounted billet crane and plans and patterns from the works. Extensive collections of blacksmithing and related trades; a cupola from Browns Foundry, moulding and pouring tools, patterns dating back to 1850 and rolling mills from Dunston, parts of a water powered hammer forge and a range of machine tools. Ship building is only represented by the archive and library collections as all maritime material has been passed to Tyne and Wear Museums. The printing collections are significant and include several presses viz: a Stanhope No 67 of c1805; a Columbian No 655 of 1837 and No 907 of 1840 by Clymer and Dixon; Star copper plate press by D and J Greig of Edinburgh; An Albion by Wood and Co of London and a rare platen press by Slight and Lillie of Edinburgh of the late 1820s. Later presses of 1870 -1920 include Arab platens, stone litho presses, Wharfedale flat bed and typecasting linotype machines. Also gold blocking presses, book binding equipment, ruling machines, hand tools, type and guillotines. The art of the illustrator and engraver is represented by Willian Davison of Alnwick’s engravings of cattle, printed ephemera and posters from 1820 -1900. Building construction is an important part of the collections and research. Many buildings are noted under Display overview as they have been rebuilt or renovated in situ, but others remain in store including an oak chimney piece form the Beehive Inn, Newcastle; a 1900s glazed ceramic front from the old Colliery Inn at Pelton; cast iron Fleetwood trusses of 1830 and a cast iron gas bridge from Dunston. The water industry has early wooden pipes form Newcastle and a variety of well-head pumps, a large stone fountain of 1878 from Consett; Stanhope sanitary district plaque and fountain; Shotley Bridge fountain and a variety of hydrant heads for public use; a McFarlanes’ cast iron gents urinal from Willington Quay and a gas powered sewage pump from Middlesbrough. Material from Milnthorpe gasworks in Cumbria and a gasometer from Appleby c.1900 are supplemented by smaller items including a gasometer by Braddoch of Oldham and early gasmeters. Streetlighting is gas powered in the town and uses standards and lamps from Newcastle. Objects from other industries include equipment from flour milling, bakery, confectionery, the Rowntrees Collection of sweet making, soda-water production, brick making, timber, paint, and rope making. Significant loans have been made to other museums in the region including Tyne and Wear, Killhope, Bowes Railway, Tanfield Railway and Hartlepool. Collections referred to in ‘Mining the Beamish Collection’ by Adrian Doyle.

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

Beccles and District Museum is a small volunteer run museum set up to display items relating to Beccles and the surrounding villages. The Museum was formed in 1976 and moved to its current location, Leman House, a Grade 1 Listed 16^th Century house in 1996. The Museum collection originated from objects donated by the Beccles Historical Society and the Town Council, and has been augmented by donations from the public.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: Not known

Licence: CC BY-NC

At present there are some 10000 objects in the collection. The collection is particularly focused on local industries and occupations, which are:

• Print and Publishing
• Milling
• Agriculture
• Education
• Scientific endeavour
• Retail and Market activities
• Activities associated with the River Waveney.
• It is made up of items in the following categories:
• Photographs
• Books and documents
• Textiles
• Memorabilia
• Geology
• Archaeological
• Architectural
• Natural History

The Museum also collects general artefacts that represent everyday life in the locality from Roman to Modern times. Although the bulk of the collection is dated to the late 19^th Century and early 20^th Century.

There are a number of notable local historical figures and the Museum collects information about them and their families:

• Sir John Leman
• Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin
• The Rix Family
• Catherine Suckling
• Dr. Joseph Arnold
• Daniel of Beccles

Source: Collection development policy

Date:

Licence: CC BY-NC

Agriculture Collection

Collection of hand tools, horse drawn tools, farm processing machinery and a butchery.

Subjects

Agriculture

Biology Collection

Small collection of local species and antiquarian collections of British bird eggs and nests, butterflies and local fossils.

Subjects

Biology

Ethnography Collection

Small collection by locally born missionaries and local people who returned from living abroad, mainly from South Pacific and Africa.

Subjects

Ethnography

Decorative and Applied Art Collection

Extensive collections of 19th and 20th century ladies costume up to 1950s and a small collection of men’s clothing. Collection of jewellery, silverware, smoking requisites, writing equipment and stationery. Late 19th and early 20th century toys, nursery furniture and equipment, especially dolls and tinplate.

Subjects

Decorative and Applied Arts

Photographic Collection

Sydney Smith, a local professional photographer active between 1920 and 1950, original negatives, both glass and film, and print Important collection of photographic equipment, cameras, negatives and prints, especially Sydney Smith, a local professional photographer active between 1920 and 1950, original negatives, both glass and film, and prints.

Subjects

Photographic equipment

Social History Collection

Large collection of washing machines, sewing machines, flat irons, vacuums and sweeps, kitchen utensils and a small collection of militaria. Also Ironmongers, Village shop, chemists with a drug run, a public house and a dairy.

Subjects

Social History

Transport Collection

Small collection of 19th century horse drawn vehicles including farm waggons, stone waggon, 2 wheel tipping block cart, a trap, a bier, hand carts and barrows.

Subjects

Transport

Science and Industry Collection

Mainly industrial trades and crafts, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, cobblers, coopers, printers, millwrights, bee keeping, game keeping, gardening, brush and besom making and saddlery mainly dating from 1850 to 1940s with a few 1800-1850, but also building, small collection including a stone waggon and whaling, carved bones and teeth (Scrimshaw) and items relating to Nicholas Piper, a Pickering whaling captain. Mainly industrial trades and crafts, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, cobblers, coopers, printers, millwrights, bee keeping, game keeping, gardening, brush and besom making and saddlery mainly dating from 1850 to 1940s with a few 1800-1850. Whaling, carved bones and teeth (Scrimshaw) and items relating to Nicholas Piper, a Pickering whaling captain.

Subjects

Science and Industry

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

Personalia Collection

There are artefacts relating to William Beckford and his life, notably books written by Beckford, books owned by him and books about his life, his collections and the buildings he commissioned. There are two models of the Lansdown Tower and Fonthill Abbey.

Subjects

Personalia

Fine Art Collection

This collection is the main strength of the museum and comprises engravings and lithographs relating to William Beckford; oil paintings by Willes Maddox of objects d’art owned by Beckford; and copies of family portraits, including facsimile reproductions of oil paintings by Hoppner and Casali.

Subjects

Fine Art

Decorative and Applied Art Collection

The small decorative art collection comprises objects such as Chinese armorial plate made in porcelain and English silver gilt teaspoons painted or engraved with the Beckford coat of arms and crests. There is also some furniture from Fonthill Abbey.

Subjects

Decorative and Applied Arts

Source: Cornucopia

Date: Not known, but before 2015

Licence: CC BY-NC

The Bentwaters Cold War Museum (BCWM) opened it doors to the public for the first time in May 2007. This was the culmination of a project that began some six years previous.

The original idea was for a room in the control tower to be set aside for memorabilia and photos but this idea was subsequently changed to something that was on a much larger scale. The new plan saw the former hardened Wing Command Post as the base for the museum, a building that itself, has a very interesting history. The Command Post was the nerve centre of the Bentwaters and Woodbridge ‘Twin-Base’ complex during exercises (and in the event of war). In April 1986 the Command Post was manned for Operation El Dorado Canyon (the United States Air Force raids on Colonel Gadaffi’s headquarters in Libya). The building’s last operational milestone was during the first Gulf War in 1991, which saw it manned for the duration of the conflict in support of the A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft that were deployed to theatre.

Operated and administered by volunteers from Bentwaters Aviation Society (a registered charity), the BCWM portrays the history of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge from the Second World War through to when the USAF withdrew from both bases in 1993. The most important period of operation of the ‘Twin-Bases’ was during the Cold War and, as the museum’s name suggests, this is the main focus of the exhibits. Two key rooms in the Command Post have been restored to an operational appearance. These rooms are the Battle Cabin and the War Operations Room. Although unmanned during normal day-to-day operations, they would have been the two most important rooms during exercise and wartime. Additional rooms have been turned into ‘themed’ exhibitions. These cover the history of Bentwaters and Woodbridge in general, Special Operations units at Woodbridge, the ‘Aggressor’ unit at Bentwaters and a miscellaneous exhibition room which includes a Cold War timeline. The museum also includes a multimedia room where visitors can expect to see video presentations and film shows.

The acquisition of a small number of airframes was considered important to promote the future growth of the museum. The Museum acquired a Gloster Meteor D.16, WH453, as its first Cold War aircraft type back in 2005. WH453 is currently undergoing the long process of being converted back to its original F.8 configuration and will be re-painted in the markings of 72 Sqn, RAF. The Meteor was the first jet-powered aircraft to be based at Bentwaters.

Subsequent airframe acquisitions include SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1A XX741 (the only ground-running and taxiable example left in the World), Hawker Hunter GA.11 XE707, English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF581, BAe Harrier GR.3 ZD667 and McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 XV401. The Lightning was gifted to the Museum by BAe Systems at Rochester, Kent who, having visited several aviation museums in the East of England, decided that Bentwaters Cold War Museum was the most suitable home for what is undoubtedly, the most iconic Cold War aircraft type in history.

The undoubted highlight for the museum has been acceptance onto the National Museum of the USAF’s loan programme. This has allowed us to ‘bring home’ two former Bentwaters-based aircraft types…namely a Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star and a Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt. The latter is a particularly significant addition to the collection as it was actually based at Bentwaters during the Cold War and is one of only two A-10s on public display in Europe.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2024

Licence: CC BY-NC

The Museum’s Collection includes aircraft and associated artefacts, uniforms, medals and decorations, printed material, film, photographs and fine art, and archives maintained in accordance with the Code of Practice on Archives for Museums in the United Kingdom 3rd Edition 2002.

Source: Collection development policy

Date: 2024

Licence: CC BY-NC