England is awash with museums, many of which are just
exhibits full of the usual historical stuff we've all seen a hundred times
before.
This inspired me to track down some of the country's
more unusual exhibits and collections, the top twenty of which are described
below;
CIRCUS MUSEUM
Wookey Hole Caves, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1BB.
Housed in part of the awesome Wookey Hole cave complex
located in Somerset, which is in it’s self a must see due to it's extensive
cave system, hand made paper mill, cheese factory, Victorian penny arcade and
resident witch, this colourful sideline, which was founded by former circus
great Gerry Cottle, displays hundreds of circus artefacts as well as putting on
a circus show and running a children's circus skills school.
You can access the museum's website at - www.wookey.co.uk
CHOCOLATE MUSEUM
187, Ferndale Road, Brixton, London, SW9 8BA.
This south London museum, which pays homage to the
fine art of chocolate making, displays several beautifully hand crafted works
of chocolate art, a collection of 18th century chocolate making
tools and provides a daily exhibit of artesan chocolate making.
You can check out the museum's website by visiting - http://thechocolatemuseum.co.uk
DENTAL MUSEUM
64, Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YS.
The idea of the British Dental Association museum
would send shivers up most people's spines, but it is actually a very
interesting and gratifying museum to visit, if only to make us all so very
grateful as to how well dentistry has evolved over the years.
The museum is part of London's vast Museum of Health
and Medicine and can be found in the City of Westminster’s, Wimpole Street.
The museum's website can be found by visiting - www.medicalmuseums.org/British-Dental-Association-Museum
.
DOG COLLAR MUSEUM
Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 1PL.
After visiting this tweflth century castle and it’s
beautiful lakeside gardens a Goth's paradise awaits you in the form of this unique, five hundred year old
collection of the world's largest display of both human and dog collars.
You can visit the museum's website by visiting - www.leeds-castle.com/The+Dog+Collar+Museum
FOUNDLING HOSPITAL MUSEUM
40, Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1 AZ.
I defy anyone to enter this building and come out with
a dry eye. This oh so sad former children’s home, known as a foundling
hospital, explains, by way of several exhibits and artefacts, how Victorian
England coped with the offspring of single women, many of whom were forcibly
removed from them, and other unwanted or orphaned children.
You can access the museum’s website by visiting - http://foundlingmuseum.org.uk
HAT MUSEUM
Wellington Mill, Stockport, Cheshire, SK3 OEU.
Home to a re-created Victorian hat factory and a
display of over four hundred hats from around the world, Stockport’s Hat Museum
also takes you through the city’s once thriving millinary industry by way of
several interactive displays the whole family can indulge in.
You can access the museum’s website by visiting - www.stockport.gov.uk/hatworks
JAIL MUSEUM
Littledean, Cinderford, Forest of Dean,
Gloucestershire, GL14 3NL.
There are several excellent jail museums around the
country but I vote this my favourite owing to it’s many diverse exhibits on
everything from the history of the British Police Force to Albert Pierrepoint,
from the Klu Klux Klan to the Kray Twins and much, much more.
If you love a bit of intrigue, scandal or mayhem and
murder, this 18th century former house of correction is definitely
the one for you.
You can access the musem’s website by visiting - www.littledeanjail.com
LAWN MOWER MUSEUM
Shakespeare Street, Southport, PR8 5AJ.
Housed in a High Street lawn mower sales and parts
business, this rare and interesting museum takes you through the history of the
lawn mower by way of hundreds of exhibits dating from the Victorian and
Edwardian periods.
You can check out the museum’s website by visiting - www.lawnmowerworld.co.uk
LOCK & KEY MUSEUM
The Locksmith's House, 54 New Road, Willenhall, West
Mdlands.
Located in part of the Black Country Living Museum, in
it's self well worth a visit owing to it's re-created Victorian shops and
businesses, this quaint, former lock smith's house has to be pre-booked before
you can indulge in a guided tour around it.(Ring 0121 520 8054). Then you can check out the history of locks and
keys and marvel at how how they have evolved into what we use today.
You can access the museum's website at - www.bclm.co.uk
OPERATING THEATRE MUSEUM
9a, St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY.
Another of London's superb medical museums is the
Operating Theatre Museum located on St Thomas Street near London Bridge. This
chilling 19th century operating theatre is located in the roof of a church and
is also home to a really interesting, three hundred year old herb garret.
You can see the museum's website at - www.medicalmuseums.org/Old-Operating-Theatre-and-Herb-Garret
PEDAL CAR MUSEUM
Old Blue Mill, Backbarrow, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12
8TA..
Housed in a former cotton mill on the southern shore
of Lake Windemere and making up part of Cumbria’s Lakeland Motor Museum, this
vast collection of pedal cars, and several real cars too, is a definite must
see for petrol heads of all ages.
You can access the museum's website by visiting - www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/pedalcars
PENCIL MUSEUM
Main Street, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5NG.
Yes a pencil museum, can't get any more boring than
that eh? But no this museum, located in the beautiful Cumbrian town of Keswick,
actually proved to be great fun and really rather interesting.
Go on give it a try next time your Keswick way.
You can check out the museum's website by visiting - www.pencilmuseum.co.uk
PRAM MUSEUM
The Baby Farm, Pailton, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 OQH.
Founded in the 1970's by former radio engineer Jack
Hampshire, this vast collection of prams, push chairs and other baby carriages
is a definite must see, if only to check out which type of carriage you
yourself were being pushed around in during your early days.
You can access the museum's website at - www.thebabyfarm.co.uk
SHOE MUSEUM
Guildhall Road, Northampton, NN1 1DP.
Northampton's boot and shoe museum is located in part
of the city's Museum and Art Gallery and charts the city's iconic cobbling
history as well as displaying the world's largest collection of boots and shoes
from around the globe.
You can check out the museum's website at - www.northampton.gov.uk/museums
TILE MUSEUM
The Jackfield Museum, Salthouse Road, Telford,
Shropshire, TF8 7LJ.
The Jackfield is one of the ten museums which make up
the superb Ironbridge Gorge collection of museums.
Located at Telford this particular museum has several
rooms where the visitor can interact with the history of tile making, including
one where the visitor can design and make their own tiles.
If craft making isn’t your thing you can always take a
leisurely stroll around the museum taking in the beauty of the many historic tiles
on display.
You can access the museum website by visiting - www.ironbridge.org.uk/our-attractions/jackfield-tile-museum
TOILET MUSEUM
Gladstone Pottery, Uttoxeter Road, Longton, Stoke on
Trent, Staffordshire, ST3 1PQ.
Located in Britain's iconic home of ceramics, Stoke on
Trent, this museum is well worth a visit owing to the ingenious mechanism of the
early days of the toilet and to see some of the beautiful Victorian toilets it has on
display.
In fact the museum as a whole is a totally facinating
place as it take's the visitor through the rise of the city's vast pottery (and
potty) making industry.
You can check out the museum's website at - www.stokemuseums.org.uk
VACUUM CLEANER MUSEUM
23, Market Street, Heanor, Derbyshire, DE75 7NR.
Located in an ordinary High Street vacuum sales and
repair shop, this large collection of vacuum cleaners isn’t the most facinating
place you’ll ever see, but it's still well worth a visit if only for the
nostalgic trip down memory lane that it will undoubtedly instill in all of
you.
You can visit the shop's website at - www.mrvacuumcleaner.co.uk
WATERWAYS MUSEUM
South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Wirral, CH65 4FW.
Housed in several Victorian buildings located where
the Manchester Ship Canal meets the Shropshire Union Canal, visitors are able
to chart the history and culture of this once thriving way of life at this
interesting and very well presented canal and waterways museum located on the
Wirral Peninsular.
Visitors can also see a variety of former working
canal boats or take an informative canal boat ride along the Shropshire Union
Canal.
You can access the museum’s website by visiting - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk
WITCHCRAFT MUSEUM
The Harbour, Boscastle, Cornwall, PL35 OHD.
Located in one of Cornwall's most beautiful harbour
villages, infamous for the flash flood which devastated it in 2004, this spooky
hall of delights take’s the visitor through Europe’s history of witches,
witchcraft and spells by way of several very interesting exhibits and
artefacts.
Definitely a must see next time you're visiting
Cornwall's north coast.
You can check out the museum's website by visiting - www.museumofwitchcraft.com
WORKHOUSE MUSEUM
75, Allhallowgate, Ripon, Yorkshire, HG4 1LE.
Guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye this former 19th
century workhouse shows the visitor exactly what it was like to be a pauper
down on his luck in Victorian England.
Shown around by costumed guides you can relive the
horrors and pain of those who lived during this much less forgiving time.
This workhouse museum is one of a group of three
museums in the town which also include a courthouse museum and and a prison
museum
You can access the museum’s website by visiting - http://riponmuseums.co.uk 
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