Collection: The Castle Heritage Centre

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collection has evolved from the original Bude–Stratton Folk Museum, set up during the 1970s. In the early 2000’s, a Heritage Lottery Grant was sought to develop The Castle, former home of Victorian Inventor Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, into a Heritage Centre. The funding enabled better storage facilities for the collection and the opportunity to expand.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The geographic area from which the collection will be drawn is the twelve parishes, Bude, Stratton and Poughill, Jacobstow, Kilkhampton, Launcells, Marhamchurch, Morwenstow, North Tamerton, Poundstock, St. Gennys, Week St. Mary and Whitstone, comprising North Cornwall. The current collection has evolved over many years, mainly through donations and some purchases. Some artefacts originate from the original Bude – Stratton Museum situated on the Wharf.

  Photographic Collection

  From the invention of photography items relating to, social and industrial life, transport, military, maritime and local personalities. Including a collection of Thorn photographs.

  Archive Collection

  From the time of the earliest local written records – the archive collection is made up of documents, maps, and ephemera relating to the canal, ships and ship wrecks, ship building, railway, WW2 and local personalities. The museum also holds a range of reference books.

  Works of Art

  Mainly work from the nineteenth and twentieth century’s – landscape and maritime scenes by local artists, such as Charles Branscombe. Portriat of the Grenville regiment of the Sealed Knot by Robert Lenkiewicz

  Social and industrial Life

  Mainly from the nineteenth and the twentieth century – objects related to domestic and industrial change including the inventions of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, leisure and recreational activities and the rise of tourism, ship building, coastal trade, the Bude Canal, the railway and agricultural. Also including surfing and surf lifesaving.

  Military

  Objects relating mainly to WW2 and the home front with some Civil War items such as cannon balls and musket shot.

  Transport

  Objects prior to the last 40 years – items mainly related to the Bude Harbour and Canal Company and the railway including a restored tub boat.

  Maritime

  Objects prior to the last 40 years – objects related to maritime history with particular emphasis on ships and ship wrecks, local rocket brigade and lifeboat service.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC