The Canterbury Heritage Museum (formerly the Museum of Canterbury) was a museum in Stour Street,
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
,
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, first level of International Territorial Level, ITL for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of england, ...
, telling the history of the city. It was housed in the 12th-century Poor Priests' Hospital next to the
River Stour. The museum exhibited the
Canterbury Cross and contained a gallery dedicated to
Rupert the Bear
Rupert Bear is a British children's comic strip character and franchise created by artist Mary Tourtel and first appearing in the ''Daily Express'' newspaper on 8 November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to win sales from the rival ''Da ...
, whose creator
Mary Tourtel
Mary Tourtel (born Mary Caldwell on 28 January 187415 March 1948) was a British artist and creator of the comic strip Rupert Bear. Her works have sold 50 million copies internationally.
Early life
Mary Tourtel was born Mary Caldwell, 28 January ...
lived in Canterbury. It held regular events and exhibitions of local and national interest. The museum closed in 2018. It has since re-opened as The Marlowe Kit; an escape room, exhibition and creative space.
History
William Masters
The museum was founded by
William Masters
William Howell Masters (December 27, 1915 – February 16, 2001) was an American gynecologist, best known as the senior member of the Masters and Johnson sexuality research team. Along with his partner Virginia E. Johnson, he pioneered research i ...
, a local nurseryman specializing in exotic plants, who went on to serve as Hon. Curator from 1823 to 1846.
[Desmond, R. (1994). ''Dictionary of British & Irish Botanists & Horticulturists'', p.475. Taylor & Francis, and ]Natural History Museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
, London. Retrieved on December 18, 2016
Poor Priests' Hospital
The museum was in the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Poor Priests' Hospital with two adjoining buildings, backing on to the
River Stour.
From 1174 to 1207 the long, low block parallel to Stour Street was the stone house of a
tanner, a rich
minter Minter may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Minter, Alabama, an unincorporated community
*Minter Village, California, an unincorporated community
*Minter City, Mississippi
Minter City is an unincorporated community in Leflore County and Tal ...
and the minter's son, Alexander, who converted it into an
almshouse
An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
in the name of the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
for old and poor priests. The priests used the house as a
hall
In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...
, living, eating and sleeping around a central fire. In 1373 the
solar
Solar may refer to:
Astronomy
* Of or relating to the Sun
** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun
** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels")
** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...
and
undercroft
An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open ...
were added opposite the present gateway, to give privacy on the upper floor to the master of the
hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
. At the other end of the original hall was the service quarter for servants with kitchen, pantry and
buttery. Next to the solar is the Chapel of
St Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, which was designed as a single open space with a back kitchen. Two upper floors were later inserted, with windows and chimney. This set of buildings became secular in 1575: a school,
poorhouse
A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy.
Workhouses
In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), ‘workhouse’ has been the ...
,
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
and
clinic
A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...
. The museum was previously at the
Beaney
The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge is the central museum, library and art gallery of the city of Canterbury, Kent, England. It is housed in a Grade II listed building. Until it closed for refurbishment in 2009, it was known as the ''Beaney In ...
as the ''Heritage Museum'', then was established in Stour Street in 1987 to celebrate
local history
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small bu ...
, and the building restored to show the interior
crown-post
A crown post is a term in traditional timber framing for a post in roof framing which stands on a ''tie beam'' or ''collar beam'' and supports a ''collar plate''.Alcock, N. W.. Recording timber-framed buildings: an illustrated glossary. London: ...
roof.
Closure and reopening
The museum was closed in 2018 after visitor numbers had dropped from 30,000 to less than 9,000 over the previous five years.
A campaign was led by local institutions, including
Canterbury Archaeological Trust
Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) is an independent charity formed in 1975 to undertake rescue excavation, research, publication and the presentation of the results of its work for the benefit of the public.
The Trust's main activities are ...
, to keep it open.
On 6 April 2019, the venue reopened with a year-long exhibition called The Marlowe Kit.
Exhibits
Canterbury Heritage Museum
![Canterbury cross brooch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Canterbury_cross_brooch.jpg)
Exhibits in galleries and displays dated from pre-
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
to the present, and were arranged as a time walk from the earliest to latest, with a
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
and
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
display,
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
discovery gallery,
Marlowe Marlowe may refer to:
Name
* Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593), English dramatist, poet and translator
* Philip Marlowe, fictional hardboiled detective created by author Raymond Chandler
* Marlowe (name), including list of people and characters w ...
whodunit
A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the cl ...
display,
wartime Blitz
Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to:
Military uses
*Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign
*The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War
*, an Imperial German Navy light cruiser b ...
experience,
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in t ...
gallery,
Bagpuss
''Bagpuss'' is a British animated children's television series which was made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The series of thirteen episodes was first broadcast from 12 February to 7 May 1974. The title char ...
and
Clangers
''Clangers'' (usually referred to as ''The Clangers'') is a British stop-motion children's television series, consisting of short films about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and inside, a small moon-like planet. They speak only ...
display,
Rupert Bear
Rupert Bear is a British children's comic strip character and franchise created by artist Mary Tourtel and first appearing in the ''Daily Express'' newspaper on 8 November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to win sales from the rival ''Da ...
Museum, and an exhibitions gallery.
There were interactive displays involving a
microscope
A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisibl ...
, a
treasure chest
Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
plane-spotting. There was also a wing housing
The 1900 House
''The 1900 House'' is a historical reenactment reality television series made by Wall to Wall/Channel 4 in 1999. The program features a modern family attempting to live in the way of the late Victorians for three months in a modified house. It w ...
Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
collection.
There was a
tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...
, covering three walls, which showed the life-story of
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...
. There was a display of bones found locally, with forensic analysis and reconstructed faces from the ''
Meet the Ancestors
''Meet the Ancestors'' (later ''Ancestors'') is a BBC Television documentary series first broadcast in 1998. It documented the archaeological excavation and scientific reconstruction of human remains. The series was introduced by archaeologist ...
'' show.
A prized exhibit in the
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
gallery was the
Canterbury Cross, an 850
AD Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
brooch found in St Georges Street in 1867.
It is in the form of a
consecration cross: traditionally one of twelve similar crosses marked on church walls to represent the
apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
and the twelve
anointing
Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body.
By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or oth ...
s of the building by the bishop at
consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
.
![Invicta, Canterbury, 1970s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Invicta%2C_Canterbury%2C_1970s.jpg)
There was also furniture, household objects, arms and armour,
as well as the Canterbury Pendant: a
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
silver portable sundial which was lent briefly in 2009 to
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
for an exhibition.
It was made in the form of a pendant, is ascribed to the silversmith
St Dunstan
Saint Dunstan (c. 909 – 19 May 988) was an English bishop. He was successively Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, Bishop of Worcester, Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life i ...
(909−988 AD), and could probably only indicate the time accurately at noon. It was used to measure the time of prayer. It was found in the
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
cloisters during excavations in 1948.
[ ][Information from Canterbury Museums Department] The
''Invicta'' locomotive was housed here.
Between 2009 and 2012, Canterbury Heritage Museum held many of
The Beaney's exhibits during its refurbishment, including the ''
Sir Basil Dixwell'' by
Van Dyck
Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy.
The seventh c ...
bought for £1 million by Canterbury in 2004; Sir Basil had lived at
Broome Park
Broome Park is a country house in Barham, within the City of Canterbury, Kent, England. It was built for Sir Basil Dixwell between 1635 and 1638. In the early 20th century it was the country home of Lord Kitchener of Khartoum until his death at ...
near Canterbury.
Rupert Bear Museum
![Rupert Bear Museum 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Rupert_Bear_Museum_001.jpg)
The Rupert Bear Museum was opened in 2003 with a £500,000
Heritage Lottery Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom.
History
The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
grant. The creator of
Rupert Bear
Rupert Bear is a British children's comic strip character and franchise created by artist Mary Tourtel and first appearing in the ''Daily Express'' newspaper on 8 November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to win sales from the rival ''Da ...
,
Mary Tourtel
Mary Tourtel (born Mary Caldwell on 28 January 187415 March 1948) was a British artist and creator of the comic strip Rupert Bear. Her works have sold 50 million copies internationally.
Early life
Mary Tourtel was born Mary Caldwell, 28 January ...
, grew up and attended art school in Canterbury, and a 1921 first-
edition
Edition may refer to:
* Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies
* Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run
* Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text
* Edition Recor ...
Rupert
annual
Annual may refer to:
* Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
**Yearbook
** Literary annual
* Annual plant
* Annual report
* Annual giving
* Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
* Annuals (b ...
was one of the exhibits. The Rupert Bear Museum involves activities for children on the themes of play, entertainment and education. It includes the
Bagpuss
''Bagpuss'' is a British animated children's television series which was made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The series of thirteen episodes was first broadcast from 12 February to 7 May 1974. The title char ...
and
Clangers
''Clangers'' (usually referred to as ''The Clangers'') is a British stop-motion children's television series, consisting of short films about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and inside, a small moon-like planet. They speak only ...
display with items from the original television shows, such as the Emily shop-window from the opening scene of Bagpuss, because its creators
Peter Firmin
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
and
Oliver Postgate
Richard Oliver Postgate (12 April 1925 – 8 December 2008), generally known as Oliver Postgate, was an English animator, puppeteer, and writer. He was the creator and writer of some of Britain's most popular children's television progra ...
filmed the programmes at Firmin's house near Canterbury.
The museum was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and
Express Newspapers
Northern & Shell (holding company name Northern and Shell Network Ltd) is a British publishing group, founded in December 1974 and owned since then by Richard Desmond. Formerly a publisher of pornographic magazines including '' Penthouse'' and ' ...
.
Exhibitions, events and accessibility
Regular family interactive events were scheduled.
In June 2008 there was a two-day celebration of the
centenary
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at ...
of
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...
's birth and of the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
films.
In November 2008 there was a Rupert Bear Day, with the cartoon's new illustrator
Stuart Trotter signing Rupert books.
In July 2009 the museum celebrated the anniversary of
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.
...
's first
moonwalk
Moonwalk may refer to:
Space travel
* Moonwalk, an excursion on the Moon, see Moon landing
** For a specific event, see List of spacewalks and moonwalks 1965–1999
** For a specific person, see List of people who have walked on the Moon
*Extrave ...
in 1969. It was an interactive event with the public chatting to
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
s and an astrodome showing a 3D tour of
night sky
The night sky is the nighttime appearance of celestial objects like stars, planets, and the Moon, which are visible in a clear sky between sunset and sunrise, when the Sun is below the horizon.
Natural light sources in a night sky include ...
and
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
.
In 2009 the museum celebrated an exhibition and a 40th anniversary of the
Clangers
''Clangers'' (usually referred to as ''The Clangers'') is a British stop-motion children's television series, consisting of short films about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and inside, a small moon-like planet. They speak only ...
TV show with two interactive events which included meetings with
Peter Firmin
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
, the show's co-creator.
Oliver Postgate
Richard Oliver Postgate (12 April 1925 – 8 December 2008), generally known as Oliver Postgate, was an English animator, puppeteer, and writer. He was the creator and writer of some of Britain's most popular children's television progra ...
, the other creator of Bagpuss and the Clangers, lived locally and died in 2008, but his creations were given to the museum during his lifetime.
The museum was open seasonally between March and September and was also open during school holidays, with disabled access. An entrance fee was charged.
References
External links
Photo of Canterbury Pendant (portable silver Saxon sundial)Photo of Canterbury CrossPhoto of ''Sir Basil Dixwell'' by Van Dyck, 1638
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canterb
Museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
Museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
Museums established in 1987
Grade II listed buildings in Kent
Museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
History museums in Kent
Children's museums in the United Kingdom
Local museums in Kent
Mass media museums in the United Kingdom
1987 establishments in England
Rupert Bear