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Gawthorpe Hall and Witches in Lancashire (Part One)
© Lee Pilkington Over the last couple of years, staff at Gawthorpe Hall have been researching the 17th century Shuttleworth Account books, dating from 1582 to 1621. These books contain detailed information on the expenses of the Shuttleworth family and give a fascinating insight into life at the time. In this blog post, Museum Assistant…
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Sir John Bayley: The Slave Owning Judge and the Judges’ Lodgings
Sir John Bayley by William Russell. Oil on canvas, c.1808 (NPG 457) ©National Portrait Gallery. Naomi Parsons, Museum Assistant at Judges’ Lodgings explores how the slave trade was woven into the social and economic life of Lancaster in the 18th and early 19th Centuries, by exploring the story of judge, Sir John Bayley. Thomas Anson,…
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The search for China Blue – Pioneering science at Rosebank Printworks
Back in November of 2020 Philip Butler our Curator of Industry and Technology released a blog about Lancashire’s cotton finishing and printing industry ‘Roller Printing’. Now Philip Butler revisits the subject through the lens of a collection of dye and sample books in the Lancashire County Museum Service collection. Within the extensive Lancashire textile industry…
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Lancashire – Lead-ing the Way in Toys!
Image 1: LANCUM-CF0155 (Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme) Dr Pauline Clarke, Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer, takes a look at the lead toys found across Lancashire. Here at the Portable Antiquities Scheme you might think that we spend all of our time looking at precious treasure and coins. While this obviously forms part…
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Meet the Conservation Trainees at Rochdale Townhall!
Conservator, Jenny Truran gives us an insight into the ongoing work at the magnificent Rochdale Town Hall. Lancashire Conservation Studios (LCS) part of Lancashire County Council Museums Service have started delivery of the third Heritage Skills programme based at Rochdale Town Hall. Lancashire Conservation Studios have worked with Rochdale Development Authority and now Rochdale Town…
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A Tale of Two Judges: the Rock Climber and the Infamous ‘Acid Drop’
In the first of our 2024 blog series, Judges’ Lodgings volunteer, Penny Blackburn, gives us a fascinating insight into two judges that stayed at the lodgings in the late 19th Century. I have been extremely fortunate to have access to the Judges’ Visitor Guest Book which has greatly aided my understanding of how the Judges’…
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The Ghosts of Lancaster Castle!
To mark Halloween, Tour Guide Christopher Tinmouth shares some of the spooky tales and ghostly sightings from Lancaster Castle, a site with a long and gruesome history. There have been many strange and unusual paranormal sightings at Lancaster Castle, some of which can be explained, others which are shrouded in mystery. All of them set…
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Seeing Double – Henry Raeburn and Robert Shuttleworth
Image 1: Robert Shuttleworth by Henry Raeburn, circa 1816. Courtesy of NT Images/Robert Thrift Museum Manager, Rachel Pollitt De Duran, talks about the stunning portrait of Robert Shuttleworth (1784-1818) of Gawthorpe Hall by Scottish portrait artist Henry Raeburn (1756-1823). Raeburn was the leading portrait artist of his day and everyone who was anyone in Edinburgh…
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Preserving the Past: A Glimpse into the Restoration of Rochdale Town Hall
Mike Bowes, Conservation Officer, talks about the conservation work that is taking place at Rochdale Town Hall, a grade one listed building designed by William Crossland. Since 2020/21 Lancashire Conservation studios have led and delivered the conservation of the historically significant state rooms and great hall mural, conducting historic paint analysis to return these spaces…
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The Gardens of Gawthorpe Hall
Rachel Pilling, Site Supervisor, explores Gawthorpe Hall’s Victorian garden created by Sir Charles Barry in the 1850s. Famed for his work on the Houses of Parliament, the outline of Barry’s design can often be seen in the summer months, giving us a glimpse of its former Victorian glory. During prolonged periods of dry weather, the…
Stories from Lancashire Museums
Stories from Lancashire Museums 