Powell-Cotton Museum

Quex House & Gardens
Quex Park
Birchington
Kent
CT7 0BH

Tel: +44 (0)1843 842 168
Fax: +44 (0)1843 846 661


House

Quex House was built as a Regency gentleman's country residence and grew to become the Victorian mansion we see today. Still home to the Powell-Cotton family, it has a mellow atmosphere, many of the rooms appearing much as they did during Major Powell-Cotton's lifetime and complemented by flowers from the walled gardens at Quex. There are some splendid pieces of oriental and period furniture, fine rugs and porcelain as well as family portraits and an extensive collection of silver, clocks and memorabilia.

Gardens

The Park, gardens and woodlands provide an attractive and tranquil backdrop to Quex House and the Powell-Cotton Museum. Surrounding the house are 250 acres of parkland and gardens - the very essence of an English garden with its meandering paths and the heady scent of old roses. Over the last few years much work has been done to return the gardens to their Victorian splendour. The walled and pleasure gardens are now fully open to the public and can only add to the visitor's enjoyment of this unique attraction.

Museum

The polished mahogany cases displaying Major Powell-Cotton's treasures give Quex Museum its authentic quality, so often lacking in modern visitor attractions. There are eight galleries in all - three of them built by the Major himself - containing an amazing variety of items from the animal dioramas to striking tribal art, weapons, carvings and costumes as well as valuable collections of European and Chinese porcelain and local archaeology. What began as one man's museum has been painstakingly cared for and added to by members of the Powell-Cotton family and now offers visitors an exciting insight into the discoveries of a great Victorian explorer. A vast collection of treasures gathered by Powell-Cotton and his family on twenty-eight expeditions has been assembled at Quex, making this an exciting place to visit and an important centre for academic study.

 

Opening Times
(2005 times)
Summer: April-October (Museum, Gardens and Restaurant) Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday plus Bank Holidays 11.00am - 5.00pm. Quex House 2.00pm -4.30pm.
Winter: Mar & Nov Sundays only (Museum, Garden and Restaurant only) 11.00am - 4.00pm.
Closed December, January and February.

Admission Charges
(2005 prices)
Summer Adults £5.00; Senior Citizen/Child (under 16) £4.00; Family ticket (2+3) £14.00.
Winter Adults £4.00; Senior Citizen/Child (under 16) £3.00; Family ticket (2+3) £12.00.
All school and party visits must be pre- booked. Guided tours of Quex House and the Museum are available but must be booked in advance.

Directions
By Road: From London via M2, or from Canterbury via A28 and follow signs to Ramsgate International Ferry Port. Turn left at roundabout at Prospect Inn to Kent International Airport and follow signs to Birchington through Acol village. The entrance is on the right.
By Rail: ½ hourly service from London Victoria to Birchington(approx. 1 ½ hrs). Taxis usually available at station. Quex is about 1 mile distant.
Show map of Powell-Cotton Museum...

Powell-Cotton Museum Postcode for SatNav: CT7 0BH

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