Bankfield Museum |
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The History
For half a century from 1837-1886, Bankfield House was the home of Edward Akroyd, the largest wool manufacturer in Britain. He lavished money and attention on the building, transforming it from a modest town house into a magnificent Italianate mansion with elaborate ceilings, staircases and plasterwork. Around Bankfield he built Akroydon, a model village of fine terraced houses with allotments, a park, co-operative store, stables and All Souls Church. It was to be the first "Urban Village". Today Bankfield and Akroydon symbolise the importance of the textile industry to Victorian Britain.The Museum
A Museum since 1887, Bankfield is now home to an internationally important collection of costume and textiles from around the world. Ancient Egyptian
mummy wrappings; an Igbo masquerade dress; embroideries from India and China; woven cloth from Africa and Burma, all have a place in this 'World of Textiles'. Not everything at Bankfields is old. Contemporary crafts are an important part of its permanent galleries and the varied and exciting programme of temporary exhibitions, workshops, seminars, masterclasses and gallery demonstrations. The work of Paddy Killer, Peter Colgan, Catherine Riley, Lois Walpole, Dail Behennah, Peter Markey and Tom Wood all feature at Bankfield, which is recognised as an influential centre, promoting and encouraging contemporary crafts.In 2010 a new local history gallery opened which explores the stories behind the original owner of Bankfield - Edward Akroyd. The exhibition titled "A Rich Man's World" looks at how the man and his company, one of the largest worsted manufacturing companies in world, influenced the town of Halifax and the development of Akroydon model village.Bankfield Museum has an excellent schools education programme and can arrange study visits to the reserve collection. 
Please contact the museum for further information. Not everything at Bankfields is old. Contemporary crafts are an important part of its permanent galleries and the varied and exciting programme of temporary exhibitions, workshops, seminars, masterclasses and gallery demonstrations. The work of Paddy Killer, Peter Colgan, Catherine Riley, Lois Walpole, Dail Behennah, Peter Markey and Tom Wood all feature at Bankfield, now recognised as an influential centre, promoting and encouraging contemporary crafts.
Bankfield Museum has an excellent schools education programme and can arrange study visits to the reserve collection. Please contact the museum for further information.
Other facilities
Bankfield Museum also houses the Duke of Wellington's Regimental Museum, which reopened on 11th November 2008 following a major HLF funded refurbishment. It tells the history of the regiment from the present day back to its beginnings in 1702, using accounts from serving soldiers.Shop, toilets, free car park, disabled access to ground floor, public library, tea & coffee machine, room hire.
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Directions
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| Bankfield is on the A647 Halifax-Queensbury-Bradford road, one mile from Halifax town centre and railway station. Buses 574; 576 every 10 mins from bus station; 577; 578; 579. |
| Show map of Bankfield Museum... |
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Bankfield Museum Postcode for SatNav: HX3 6HG |
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Nearby Attractions
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Shibden Hall
(1 Mile)*
Built in 1420, Shibden Hall with it's oak panelled interiors and atmospheric room settings is Halifax's Historic Home. The Folk Museum and Barn also offer you a world without electricity, where craftsmen worked in wood and iron. |
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Eureka! The National Children's Museum
(1 Mile)*
Eureka! has a fun-packed programme of events every holiday and half term. |
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National Media Museum
(6 Miles)*
Consistently the most visited museum outside London with an average of 750,000 people coming each year, the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television has amazing interactive galleries to explore. |
| more attractions in Halifax and things to do in Halifax ... |
| more things to do in West Yorkshire and days out in West Yorkshire... |
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Nearby Hotels
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Nearby Self Catering
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