List of museums in Cheshire explained

In this list of museums in Cheshire, England, museums are defined as institutions (including non-profit organisations, government entities and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific or historical interest, and that make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (virtual museums) are not included.

Many Cheshire museums focus on the area's industrial heritage, including Quarry Bank Mill in Styal and Clarence Mill in Bollington (cotton), the Macclesfield Museums (silk), the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes (chemicals), and the Lion Salt Works in Marston and Weaver Hall Museum in Northwich (salt). The Anson Engine Museum in Poynton is on the site of a former colliery. Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, on the site of the observatory in Lower Withington, explores astronomy. There are also several transport museums, including the Crewe Heritage Centre (railways), the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port and the Anderton Boat Lift (canals). There are water-powered mills at Bunbury, Nether Alderley and Stretton.

The cities of Chester and Warrington each have a combined museum and art gallery, and the towns of Congleton and Nantwich have local museums. Norton Priory is the remains of an Augustinian abbey, and Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum documents the Primitive Methodist movement. Historic house museums are also represented in the county, including Little Moreton Hall and Lyme Park. Cheshire Military Museum in Chester Castle covers the county's regimental history, and RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre and Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker explore more recent military history. The Museum of Policing in Warrington documents Cheshire's police forces. Unusual specialist museums include Cuckooland Museum, which exhibits cuckoo clocks.

Museums and galleries

Name	Image	Location	Type	Summary	Refs
			Historic house	Country house dating in part from the 15th century, with gardens
			Transportation		^[1]
			Technology	Collection of stationary engines, blacksmith's smithy and carpentry shop; housed on the site of a former colliery	^[2]
			Historic house	Early Victorian Jacobethan mansion (1833–41) and chapel, with formal gardens and farm
			Industry	Local cotton industry, located in Clarence Mill; also canals, local history and art	^[3] ^[4]
			Castle	Ruined 12th Century castle with museum	^[5]
			Mill	Restored mid-19th-century water-powered mill; also wildlife pool
			Historic house	Jacobean-style house, Georgian Chapel, gardens, parkland
			Science		^[6]
			Military
			Local	Local history	^[7]
			Railway and Local		^[8]
			Horology	Cuckoo clocks	^[9]
			History	Roman British artifacts, reconstructed Roman legionary fortress buildings	^[10]
			Historic house	Jacobean house, gardens, woodland	^[11]
			Historic House	Grade I listed historic house with extensive gardens and grounds	^[12]
			Religious		^[13]
			Historic house	Black-and-white timber-framed manor house
			Multiple	Roman heritage, art, musical instruments, natural history, Victorian parlour, local history	^[14]
			Military	Former government-owned nuclear bunker with Cold War and military exhibits	^[15]
			Railway museum		^[16]
			Science	Lovell radio telescope, planet and space exhibitions, orrery, Solar System model, aboretum	^[17] ^[18]
			Industry	Working open-pan salt works and museum, with rebuilt stove house, salt pan, smithy, engine house and brine tank	^[19]
			Historic house		^[20]
			Historic house		^[21]
			Industry	Four museums about the local silk industry, including the Silk Museum on Park Lane, Paradise Mill, Heritage Centre, and the West Park Museum	^[22]
			Local	Local history including Cheshire's role in the Civil War, local salt, cheese, clothing, shoe and clock-making industries, and art	^[23]
			Transport	Canal boats, history of the canals
			Mill		^[24]
			Religious	12–16th-century abbey and 18th-century country house with ruins, archaeological artifacts and medieval history	^[25]
			Historic house	Grade II* listed Elizabethan brick house dating from 1585 and 18th-century landscaped park	^[26]
			Industry		^[27]
			Military	Site of former US air base, with exhibits on life at the base as well as aeroplanes and engines	^[28]
			Historic house	Grade II* listed Georgian country house and gardens	^[29]
			Mill	Working water mill, first recorded in 1351	^[30]
			Historic house	18th-century Grade I listed house with fine art and furniture collection	^[31]
			Historic house		^[32]
			Law enforcement	Includes murder weapons, forgeries, pigeon carriers, uniforms, a Doctor Who police box, photographs and records	^[33]
			Multiple	Natural history, local history, archaeology, fine art, decorative arts	^[34]
			Multiple	History of salt making, local history, archaeology	^[35]

Defunct museums and galleries

• Axis Arts Centre, Crewe (formerly Alsager Arts Centre), included an art gallery, closed in spring 2019^[36]
• Chester Toy and Doll Museum, Chester
• Mouldsworth Motor Museum, Mouldsworth, website, closed in 2013^[37]
• On The Air: Broadcasting Museum, Chester, closed in 2000^[38]

External links

• Museums and galleries at the official Cheshire Tourist Board website

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Canal & River Trust. canalrivertrust.org.uk.
2. Web site: Anson Engine Museum. www.enginemuseum.org.
3. Web site: Discovery Centre . Happy Valley Bollington.
4. Web site: The Discovery Centre . Bollington Town Council . 10 May 2019 .
5. Web site: Beeston Castle and Woodland Park. English Heritage.
6. Web site: Catalyst Science Discovery Centre - A unique interactive museum for all ages.. Catalyst Science Discovery Centre.
7. http://www.congletonmuseum.co.uk/ Congleton Museum website
8. Web site: Crewe Heritage Centre . Crewe Heritage Trust . 10 May 2019.
9. Web site: Welcome to Cuckooland . Cuckooland Museum . 10 May 2019.
10. Web site: Dewa Roman Experience Chester - Museum & tourist attraction. www.dewaromanexperience.co.uk.
11. Web site: Dorfold Hall . . 10 May 2019 .
12. Web site: Dunham Massey. National Trust.
13. Web site: Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum. https://web.archive.org/web/20100430035006/http://www.engleseabrook-museum.org.uk/. dead. 30 April 2010. 30 April 2010.
14. Web site: Grosvenor Museum . Grosvenor Museum . 10 May 2019 .
15. Web site: Visit Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker . Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker . 10 May 2019 .
16. Web site: HADLOW ROAD RAILWAY STATION, non Civil Parish - 1387664 | Historic England.
17. Web site: Jodrell Bank unveils £3m discovery centre . BBC . 7 April 2011 . 11 May 2019.
18. Web site: What's here? . Jodrell Bank Observatory/University of Manchester . 11 May 2019.
19. Web site: The Lion Salt Works, Northwich . . 5 March 2016 . 10 March 2016 .
20. Web site: Little Moreton Hall . National Trust . 30 April 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110426172620/http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-littlemoretonhall . 26 April 2011 .
21. Web site: Lyme Park . 5 August 2012 . National Trust.
22. Web site: Macclesfield Museums .
23. Web site: About Nantwich Museum . Nantwich Museum . 10 May 2019.
24. Web site: Nether Alderley Mill. National Trust.
25. Web site: Norton Priory Museum and Gardens. nortonpriory.org.
26. Web site: PEOVER HALL, Peover Superior - 1329813 - Historic England. Historic. England. historicengland.org.uk.
27. Web site: Quarry Bank. National Trust.
28. Web site: RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre .
29. Web site: Rode Hall and Gardens. www.rodehall.co.uk.
30. Web site: Home. Stretton Watermill.
31. Web site: Tabley House – Historic House.
32. Web site: Tatton Park. National Trust.
33. Web site: The Museum of Policing in Cheshire. museumofpolicingincheshire.org.uk.
34. Web site: Welcome to Warrington Museum & Art Gallery. Warrington Museum and Art Gallery.
35. Web site: Home. Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse.
36. Web site: Spring Season 2019 – Welcome and goodbye! . Neil Mackenzie . Axis Arts Centre . Spring 2019 . 9 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190509180544/http://www.axisartscentre.org.uk/ . 9 May 2019 . dead .
37. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-21014876 BBC News: Motoring museum is set to close
38. Web site: What was The Broadcasting Museum? . On the Air . 2008 . 11 May 2019.