10 Reasons to Visit the Weird & Wonderful Bagshaw Museum

Housed in a looming Gothic home of a former Victorian Mill owner in Batley, the Bagshaw Museum is full of surprises.  We visited one rainy Sunday afternoon and were delighted to find an eclectic collection of exhibits from the Egyptology gallery to rugby paraphernalia and puppets from a British seaside past.  The ground floor is dedicated to local history while the first floor is a weird and wonderful mix of objects and galleries.

The Bagshaw Museum is not a large museum or an all day affair, but it’s absolutely worth a visit.  Here are our top 10 reasons to give Bagshaw Mesuem a try.

1.  Entry to the Bagshaw Musuem is completely free.

2.  Kids can learn about Batley’s past in the ground floor of the museum.

With a 2 and 4 year old we didn’t stop to read much information but the kids liked looking at the collection of items which included a double loo seat and tiny soldiers.  Most of the items were behind glass (which meant I didn’t have to worry about Leo touching them.)  There were a few interactive pieces; Lily was delighted to listen to recorded history over the ‘telephone’ and there was also a doll’s house to play with.

3.  The Egyption exhibit complete with a ‘tomb’ is made all the more exciting by the dramatic lighting.

4.  The kids get a chance to dress up in the activities room.

5.  There is a free follow the letter trail.

There were letters throughout the museum with accompanying shapes to copy into a grid that, done correctly, revealed a picture at the end.  Lily wasn’t quite up for that, but she was really keen to find the letters and copy them into the grid.  She was quite proud of her certificate.

6.  The Gothic house itself is beautiful.

7.  You can entertain each other by making your own Punch and Judy show.

8.  There are lots of exciting things to see in the ‘Gods, Divine Creatures and Mythical Beasts’ gallery.

9.  Get hands on in the Africa exhibit.

10.  Take a walk in the park after your visit.

The museum is located on 36 aces of ancient woodland and parkland which includes a play area and a lake.  The trip from the museum to the park is less than 10 mintues on a pram friendly path but it is very steep.  We didn’t quite make it to the park on our visit as it began to rain (and yes, that resulted in a bit of a melt down on the part of a tired two-year old).

Know Before You Go:

Bagshaw Museum, Woodlands Road, Batley, WF17 0AS

Entry to the museum is free

Hours

• From 1 March to 31 October summer opening hours:
  • Tuesday to Friday 11am to 5pm
  • Saturday and Sunday 12noon to 5pm.
  • Monday: Museum closed.
• From 1 November to 28 February winter opening hours:
  • Tuesday to Thursday 11am to 4pm;
  • Saturday and Sunday 12noon to 4pm.
  • Monday and Friday: Museum closed

There is a small refreshment area with hot and cold drinks and limited snacks.

There is a small gift area with many pocket money purchases.

There is a changing area.

Contact the museum for information about wheelchair access to the first floor galleries.  Pram use may be restricted on busy days.

For more information visit the Bagshaw Museum Webpage or the Bagshaw Museum Facebook Page

I was in no way compensated for this review.  All photos and opinions are my own.