Stamford Museum was located in
Stamford,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
, in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
. It was housed in a Victorian building in Broad Street, Stamford, and was run by the museum services of
Lincolnshire County Council from 1980 to 2011.
The building and area
The building was built in 1895 as a technical school and has the words School of Art and the town crest carved above its doorway. It is built from oolitic limestone and designed by local architect,
John Charles Traylen. The museum moved to these premises in 1980, having originally been located in the library on High Street where it had opened in 1961.
Stamford was declared England's first
Conservation Area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...
in 1967. The town has been here since Anglo-Saxon and Viking times. Five medieval churches, a 15th-century almshouse as well as many other historic buildings remain.
Collections

The museum interpreted the town's history, including
Stamford Ware Pottery and the 18th-century
Daniel Lambert, renowned for his girth. Notable exhibits included a
Blackstone oil engine and the only known fragment of the Stamford
Eleanor Cross.
In the upper gallery were permanent displays on the archaeology and social history of the town. The lower galleries hosted a regular programme of temporary exhibitions. Also on display here was the Stamford Tapestry, which took 17 years to make and was hung in 2000 as part of the Millennium celebration.
There was a large research collection available by appointment. It included a number of photographs and information files on local people, places and events.
Closure
In June 2010 it was announced that the Museum would close because of Lincolnshire County Council cuts. Despite local opposition, the museum closed on 30 June 2011.
Some of the former exhibits have been relocated to the Discover Stamford area at the town's Library.
Since 2015 the building has been leased b
Wildcats Theatre School
References
External links
"Discover Stamford" on Lincolnshire County Council website
Museums established in 1980
1980 establishments in England
Local museums in Lincolnshire
Buildings and structures in Stamford, Lincolnshire
Defunct museums in England
2011 disestablishments in England