The Old House Museum is a little place tucked away, high on a hillside overlooking the beautiful town of Bakewell, right in the heart of Derbyshire's Peak District. Built in 1534, during the reign of King Henry V111, this is one of the oldest surviving Buildings in Derbyshire, and thus provides a fascinating insight into local life over the past 500 years.
In its early days this house belonged to the Gell family and was the home of a tax collector, known as a "tithe man." Over the next 200 years the house was extended and changed owners several times. It eventually became a farmhouse but in the late 1700's a local businessman called Richard Arkwright bought the property. He owned one of the water-powered mills in the village and was looking for suitable accommodation for his mill workers. He converted the building into Cottages, but these soon fell into disrepair. When the mill closed the Cottages were neglected and remained empty for many years although one of the dilapidated Cottages was still lived in until 1967.
In 1954 the Bakewell and District Historical Society was formed to save the Building from demolition and they turned it into the Museum that we find today. It is now a registered Charity.
There is an entrance fee of £3 for Adults to enter the House or £1 for Children. I am often reluctant to part with my money but having trudged up the steep hill, past the Church, one scorching hot day last Summer I decided to pay the entrance charge.
From the outside the Building looks deceptively modern. It is constructed from local Sandstone. It also looks rather small but once inside it is like entering a different World. There are actually eleven different rooms inside, each one with walls that are crudely painted and there are twigs and thatch interwoven into the walls. This technique was apparently quite popular in Derbyshire during the 16th century and was known as wattle and daub. All of the rooms all have incredibly low ceilings and original solid Oak beams. These rooms each have a different display with artefacts displaying different aspects of local life.
There is a whole room set aside that is a fully equipped Victorian Kitchen, whilst another one of the rooms is set out as a Blacksmith's Workshop.
Another room has a Wheelwright, that was used for making and repairing the Wheels of Stagecoaches.
There are many photographs in each room and drawings with Artist's impressions showing how an area would have looked through the ages.
There are other rooms with dolls, textiles, lace toys, china and products crafted from local Ashford marble.
Many of the placards have Braille beneath them and for a Building of this age it is surprisingly accessible for people with disabilities. It is however recommended to telephone ahead if you have disabled members in your party and the staff will do all that they can to accommodate your needs.
The Village of Bakewell is one of the most picturesque of all of the Peak District's Villages and if you get the chance to pay this place a visit then a little detour to the Old Museum House is well worth a visit.
Once in Bakewell the Museum is signposted from the centre of the town. However since it located on the same road as the Church, which is one of the most visible landmarks in the town then just head for the Church. The Old Museum House is situated about 200 metres further up the road.
If you are visiting by Car, Bakewell lies on the A6, which is the main Derby-Manchester road. It is located between Matlock and Buxton.
If you are visiting by bus then there is a Trans-Peak bus that runs from Derby to Manchester and goes straight through the town. The 216 and 240 buses run from Sheffield to Bakewell and the 170 bus from Chesterfield also go to Bakewell.
The Museum is currently closed for the Winter but will re-open on the 1st April 2007. It will then be open daily from 1.30PM until 4PM until the 30th June. From the 1st July until the 30th September it will open from 11AM until 4PM and throughout October it will be open from 1.30PM until 4PM.
The Old House Museum Cunningham Place Bakewell Derbyshire DE45 1DD
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