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 textiles and costumes from around the world. Mummy wrappings and teddy bears; a Diaghilev ballet costume and Igbo masquerade dress; embroideries from India and China; woven cloth from Africa and Burma, all have a place in this 'World of Textiles'. Pride of place though, belongs to the unique collection of textiles from Eastern Europe collected by Edith Durham, traveller and collector in the Balkans from 1900-1914. The 'Bread, Salt and Our Hearts' gallery tells her fascinating story and provides a showcase for many of the wonderful textiles she collected. 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.
Other facilities
Duke of Wellington's Regimental Museum; (don't miss the original Wellington boots!), plus displays of toys and weird and wonderful objects from Britain and around the world. Education activity sessions/study visits to the reserve collections by appointment - please ring for details. Shop; Toilet; Free car park; Art loan; Akroydon heritage trail; Disabled access limited.Disabled access to ground floor. Rooms available to hire for meetings, functions and celebrations.
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Opening Times
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(2007 times)
Tuesday to Saturday; 10.00am - 5.00pm, Sundays 1.00pm - 4.00pm.Bank Holiday Mondays; 10.00am - 5.00pm. Last admission 30 min before closing - please note that some areas of the Museum may not be available during this time. |
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Admission Charges
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(2007 prices)
Free admission. There is a charge for most workshops.
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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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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 Museum For Children
(1 Mile)*
Eureka! The Museum for Children is Britain's leading interactive museum for children, opening up a fascinating world of hands-on exploration. |
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National Museum of Photography Film & Television
(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 nearby attractions... |
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Nearby Hotels
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Nearby Self Catering
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