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| Hollytrees Museum | ||||
| Natural History Museum | ||||
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Behind
the Scenes
Development
plan
A lot goes on
behind the scenes of Colchester Museums, this section gives you
an in-sight into what happens and who makes it happen! You can see
the awards the Museums have won, find out about the Museums development
plans and policies, contact people directly and discover how you
can help by becoming a 'Friend' of the Museums.
This plan was adopted by the Arts and Leisure Committee of Colchester Borough Council on 16 March 1999, (Minute 123/99). The Plan is intended to help position the museum service as a high quality service relevant to Colchester as it enters the 21st century. It seeks to ensure that the service is provided to the highest possible standards, within the resources available, and that it is effectively managed. In particular the plan:- • provides
an analysis of the current service including an objective assessment
of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats If you wish to read the whole Development Plan click here
Here at Colchester Castle you will have a warm welcome from our friendly and experienced staff. Our reception
team is always happy to help with any advice you may need, from
tickets to tours, Our well stocked
shop is the perfect place to find that special souvenir and you
can round off
Colchester Museums has arguably the finest, and most extensive collection in the world of archaeology from Late Iron Age and Roman Britain. These collections reflect the key role Colchester played at the start of Britain's recorded history. The cream of the collection is on display in Colchester Castle Museum and includes many splendid and fascinating items. Daily life in Colchester, over the last three hundred years, is also well represented in the collections and these are currently mainly displayed at Hollytrees Museum. Another very important collection is the Mason Clock Collection, bequeathed in 1981, comprises 217 clocks and watches made in Colchester between 1640 and 1840. It is by far the largest collection of its kind and a selection of the items are displayed in Tymperleys Museum. Colchester Museums also has a regionally significant art collection of which one of the highlights is a series of life studies by John Constable. Also of particular note is the Mackmurdo Arts and Crafts collection which includes pottery of William de Morgan and the Martin Brothers. Many fascinating views of old Colchester are contained within the art and photograph collections. Colchester Museums also has good comprehensive collections covering the natural history of Essex. The collections are particularly strong on birds, mammals and insects, especially beetles, butterflies and wasps. It is the Biological Records Centre in N. E. Essex and maintains distribution maps for the area as well as contributing to national recording schemes. It also has the most important geological collections in the county. A good overview of the collection and the natural environment in Essex is provided in the Natural History Museum housed in Holy Trinity Church.
Colchester Museums Conservation Service has one of only three museum conservation laboratories in Essex. The laboratory is housed in the Museum Resource Centre and undertakes archaeological and social history conservation. The laboratory is well equipped: we have a range of microscopes, x ray facilities, an air abrasive machine, fume extraction and desalination facilities. Colchester Museums have now been collecting objects for over a century. Many items have been subjected to a number of early conservation treatments, with varying degrees of success. Much of the work undertaken in the laboratory involves maintaining the older collections and re-stabilising previously-treated objects where necessary. Another important aspect of our work is the treatment of newly excavated archaeological finds. Our aim is not only to clean and preserve these objects, but to investigate them for any information that they might contain.Conservation staff work closely with excavators and finds specialists to ensure that all relevant information has been gathered and documented. We also offer a wood identification service. Conservation staff are also actively involved with preventive conservation. The role of preventive conservation has become increasingly important. It attempts to slow down or halt the rate of natural deterioration by storing the artifacts in a controlled environment. If objects are stored correctly, they are less likely to require remedial treatment. Conservation staff monitor conditions in the stores and galleries, and devise improvements to the museum environment. They also test new materials used in displays and stores to ensure that these are not harmful to the objects. In addition to work on the Museums' own collections, the Conservation Service also undertakes work for excavation units and for other museums. Recent clients have included Colchester Archaeological Trust, Essex County Council Field Archaeology Unit and Braintree Museum. The service also offers support, advice and training in collections care to smaller museums within the region.
The Friends were founded in 1949 and exist to support the work of Colchester Museums and to encourage people of all ages, whether tourists or residents, to find out about the riches contained there and to preserve this local heritage for future generations. As a Friend of the Museum you will receive free admission to the Castle Museum plus regular newsletters and previews of exhibitions. You will also be invited to lectures on themes connected with the museums' collection and the heritage of the local area. The Friends contribute financially to museum service particularly in relation to the acquisition of new items for the collections. A recent purchase is a beautiful painting of a Iron Age boat sailing up the River Colne. If you are interested in helping to support the work of Colchester Museums and get involved in the rich heritage of Britain's oldest town then why not join the Friends of Colchester Museums. Send for an application form to: Friends Honorary Secretary, Patrick Denney, 247 Old Heath Road, Colchester, CO2 8BN or Telephone 01206 796822 or e-mail patrick.denney@ntlworld.com Current Membership Rates (as at April 2005): Individual £7.50 Couples £12 Family £18 (max.2 adults and 2 children under 16)
Colchester Museums are award winning, and the Castle Museum has been designated as having a collection of national and international importance. The awards are:
Every year we are trying to improve our services so that our visitors can have a great day out and come back to see us again and again!
The Designation Scheme was established in 1997 by the then Museums & Galleries Commission on behalf of the government. The scheme is designed to identify and celebrate pre-eminent collections of national and international importance in non-national museums. In particular it recognises that museums with Designated collections care for a significant part of England's cultural heritage. In June 1998 Colchester Museums was awarded Designated status in respect of its archaeology collections. In particular Designated status acknowledged the "outstanding historical importance" and "national and international standing" of the collections. In the words of Colchester Museums' Designation submission: Colchester occupies a unique place in the history of Britain. During the Late Iron Age and early Roman eras it was the dominant settlement in Britain. Given this importance it is not surprising that the strongest elements of the Museums collections relate to the Iron Age and Roman periods. In particular, objects from Roman Colchester, from individual find spots or from the extensive excavations conducted in the 19th and 20th centuries, have furnished Colchester Museums with, arguably the finest, and most extensive collection in the world representative of Roman Britain. As well as acknowledging the pre-eminence of the archaeology collections an immediate benefit of Designation has been access to funds from the Designated Museums Challenge Fund. This has enabled Colchester Museums to undertake a major three year collections management project which has led to significant improvements to the documentation and storage of the archaeology collections. For further information concerning the Designation scheme and Designated collections go to http://www.cornucopia.org.uk
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