The Forge Mill Needle Museum in

Redditch Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, is a historic museum depicting Redditch's

Industrial Heritage Industrial heritage refers to the physical remains of the history of technology and industry, such as manufacturing and mining sites, as well as power and transportation infrastructure. Another definition expands this scope so that the term a ...

. Opened in 1983 by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

, it records how in

Victorian times In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardi ...

, Redditch was the international centre of the needle and fishing tackle industry and once produced 90% of the world's needles. Models and recreated scenes provide a vivid illustration of how needles were once made, and the museum organises exhibitions, demonstration, and workshops on how needles were used in the textile industry. Forge Mill Museum is open to visitors from February to November. It is near to the ruins of Bordesley Abbey.

External links

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Redditch History Website

Website for the Volunteers at the Museum
Museums in Worcestershire Museums established in 1983 Redditch Industry museums in England 1983 establishments in England {{UK-museum-stub