Brief Guide To Bagshaw Museum

A Brief Guide to
Bagshaw Museum
Bagshaw Museum
In the picturesque setting of Batley’s Wilton Park, at the top of its wooded
slopes, stands Bagshaw Museum.
View of Woodlands, 1882. (Courtesy of Mrs Margaret Preston)
The extraordinary Gothic mansion, originally known as Woodlands, was
built in 1875-76 as a family home for local mill owner and businessman
George Sheard and his wife Annie, reputedly costing him a staggering
£25,000 to build and decorate.
It’s easy to see why the house cost so much. The building was designed by
local architect Walter Hanstock in the popular Gothic style of the Victorian
era. Its crowning glory is its unusual and imposing tower, which can be
seen from all over the modern housing estate, which now hides the house
and the park from the twenty first century.
Bagshaw Museum today
From Woodlands to Bagshaw Museum
Woodlands was a comfortable home and the Sheards lived there until
George’s death in 1902, when the house was put up for sale at £3,000.
Attracting no interest, it remained empty for several years. In 1909 the
estate was auctioned and sold to Batley Corporation for £5. Later that
year, local businessman Walter Bagshaw was asked to furnish one room as
a museum. By 1911, when Wilton Park Museum was opened to the public,
there were three completed rooms. By 1924, there were twelve and the
museum had become the main source of recreation for the people of
Batley and Birstall. When Walter Bagshaw died in 1927, the museum was
renamed Bagshaw Museum and Walter’s children, Noel and Violet,
continued his work, travelling widely and donating items to the museum.
Today, as you approach the museum, along the paths, past the trees and
the flowerbeds and the circular driveway, it’s easy to imagine that you’ve
stepped back in time and you’re on your way to visit George Sheard and
his family at the Woodlands.
Open the door, and step inside…
Inside the House
Inside, the decor of the ground floor still looks very much as it did in the
nineteenth century, with polished wood panelling on the floors, the walls
and even the ceilings. As you step into the entrance hall, you’ll be
impressed by the heavily carved pitch pine panelling covering the walls
and upper gallery. Set into the ceiling is a beautiful, stained-glass panel,
echoing the design of the arched window on the landing. Originally, the
entrance hall was used as a music room and picture gallery. Today, it
provides a stunning backdrop for the museum shop.
The entrance hall, 1902, now the museum shop
Batley: From the people that we meet…
From the entrance hall, turn left into what is now the first of two local
history galleries funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Formerly the Morning
Room, this space still has its beautiful parquetry floor and walls and fine
oak ribs decorate the ceiling. Discover local people’s stories, told in
objects and sound. What was it like in the War, or to be an Irish immigrant
in the 1850s? Sit on a double-seater outside loo and contemplate the
unsanitary conditions of the past.
The Sheards hosted an extravagant fancy dress ball for their silver
wedding in 1882. Guests dined on salmon, lobster, champagne jelly and
trifle. The Sheards also held a party for workers at their mill at Hick Lane.
George Sheard in fancy dress at his
silver wedding party.
(Courtesy of Mrs Margaret Preston)
The Bagshaw Gallery
Head to the rear of the entrance hall into the original Drawing Room,
which still boasts its original painted window shutters and its unusual
gilded, hand-painted ceiling.
Ceiling decoration
The exhibition cases in this gallery have been designed to reflect the
original decor. Even the wallpaper is a hand-printed reproduction of the
period. Aspidistra plants and Bagshaw family portraits add to the effect,
making this an incredibly atmospheric room.
Meet a gorgeous golden eagle and a spiky puffer fish. Have you any idea
what a muffin pricker looks like, or an ale muller or a crimping board? The
Bagshaw Gallery is a tribute to the Bagshaw family’s commitment to the
museum and to the diversity of their collecting.
Batley: To the places on the Street…
Now head for the second local history gallery, across the hall at the front
of the house. This was originally the Dining Room and has an elaborate,
hand-painted frieze above the cornice, depicting harvest time, hunting
and dining. You can also see a door which led to the kitchens and
servants’ quarters.
Ceiling frieze
The displays in this gallery, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, focus on
local institutions such as Fox’s Biscuits and the world famous Batley Variety
Club. Like the displays in the first local history gallery, they were developed
after extensive consultation with local people.
Here you can find out about the Shoddy industry, listen to the stars who
appeared at the Variety Club, from Shirley Bassey to Ken Dodd, and
uncover the curious case of the ‘cursed’ tram.
The Billiard Room
Pause and relax in the magnificent surroundings of what was once the
Billiard Room. Cast your eyes over the Victorian splendour of the ornate,
matching fireplaces, the arched ceiling, the stained-glass window, the
ornately-carved frieze and the original wallpaper which can still be seen in
the arches over the dais.
This gallery has recently been refurbished to house a selection of late
nineteenth century paintings from the collections of Kirklees Museums and
Galleries, many of which were acquired originally by Walter Bagshaw in
the early days of the museum. They include works by Conrad Kiesel and
Atkinson Grimshaw.
The Billiard Room, now the picture gallery, in 1902
Now head upstairs to a very different museum
Joseph Priestley
On the half-landing, in front of the stained glass window, you will find a
small display dedicated to one of the local area’s most famous sons,
Joseph Priestley, best known for identifying oxygen in 1774.
Unveiling of the statue in Birstall Market Place, 1912
For more information about Priestley’s achievements
in the fields of science, religion, education and politics,
visit the Priestley Society’s website at: www.priestleysociety.net
The White Room
At the top of the stairs, turn to your right, past the 18th Century Chinese
embroidery and enter our new temporary exhibition space, which has
been created with visitors in mind. The White Room replaces the
Enchanted Forest, which was removed due to structural problems and
objects on loan being returned to their owners. We would like your help in
deciding how this room will be used in the future and over the next few
months we will be involving you in this process. In the meantime, we hope
you enjoy the temporary exhibitions on display here and the lovely views
of Wilton Park.
Currently the space houses the Secrets of the Saucy Seaside Postcard
exhibition, which looks at the art of the famous card company, Bamforth’s
of Holmfirth.
Visitors are warned that although there is no nudity in these displays,
some people may find the content offensive.
Mythical Beasts
This gallery showcases beautiful decorative art from around the world,
featuring Gods, Divine Creatures and Mythical Beasts from Africa, Japan,
China and South Asia.
Displays in the Mythical Beasts Gallery
The Kingdom of Osiris
Continue to your right and enter - if you dare - the Kingdom of Osiris. This
mysterious and exciting gallery provides a unique glimpse into the Ancient
Egyptian way of life (and death). Dramatic lighting effects help to make
this an atmospheric experience. Gaze at the recreated interior of an
ancient tomb, be amazed by the perfectly preserved Ancient Egyptian
forearm and learn what death, and life beyond it, meant to this ancient
civilisation.
See reproductions of tomb drawings and find out more about the Ancient
Egyptians’ tools, their paints and their methods. Oh, and have you ever
wondered what 3,000-year-old dates look like?
Painted wooden coffin of Ta-di-ta-nebet-hen
Wish You Were Here
This display complements the Seabird Case - a magnificent display of birds
on a cliff, commissioned by Walter Bagshaw as a memorial to his brother
Charles in 1913. It is an excellent example of early 20th Century taxidermy.
Here you can have a go at Punch and Judy, tie sailor’s knots and follow
Stanley the Seagull’s trail around the Victorian and Edwardian seaside.
Spirit of South Asia
This wonderfully atmospheric new gallery, funded by the Heritage Lottery
Fund, provides a glimpse of the richness of life and culture in South Asia.
Here you can try on a sari in a traditional village home, listen to local
people talk about what it is like to be a South Asian living in Kirklees,
admire the beauty of the area’s decorative arts and come face to face
with a Ganges crocodile.
The new South Asian gallery
The Museum Shop
And on your way out, don’t forget to stop in at the museum shop and
take home a taste of Bagshaw Museum from its vast array of unusual and
exotic gifts, books and cards.
Changing Displays
One room on the upper floor is a temporary exhibition space, and visitors
are advised that while exhibitions are being changed over, this room may
not always be open.Additionally, for conservation reasons, museums
displays do change and you may not see everything that appears in this
brief guide.So, if you are travelling some distance before coming to see
Bagshaw Museum, do check for details of opening times and exhibitions
before you travel.
We look forward to seeing you at Bagshaw Museum