MUSEUMS - Five of the best
Mid Kent Living has been out and about to come up with a list of some of the best museums in Kent to visit.
GUILDHALL MUSEUM,
ROCHESTER Go back in time Long before the days of Charles Dickens – now arguably Rochester’s biggest claim to fame – the town was carving out a name for itself in the annals of history. Built in the 11th century, with its
impressive stone keep, Rochester Castle was strategically important in protecting the South East from invasion. Eight hundred years on and the town’s
museum is hosting an exhibition about the events leading up to the siege as part of its permanent display that highlights how the castle and the river helped shape the history of the area. Founded in 1897, the Guildhall Museum
incorporates the Guildhall in the High Street, which was built in 1687, and the adjoining River Medway Conservancy Board Building, added in 1909. All visitors (including those with mobility difficulties) can access electronic media in the entrance gallery, which enables them to view short films
highlighting key features of the museum displays, including archaeological objects going back to Roman Times, a set of 18th century cabinet-maker’s tools and civic silver and regalia from Medway’s past. Visitors are whisked back in time as
they experience what life would have been like in a full-size reconstruction of a Medway prison hulk and a replica Victorian drawing room and kitchen. A themed trail for children through the museum, plus quizzes for kids, makes this a great family day out.
DOVER MUSEUM, MARKET SQUARE
World’s oldest boat At the opposite end of the county, visitors can step back even further in time, to 1500BC. Dover Museum’s prehistoric wooden boat - discovered in 1992 by workmen building the A20 - is thought to be 3,500 years old, making it the world’s oldest known seafaring boat. After nearly a month of excavation, which earned international praise, a 9.5- metre section was successfully recovered and is now on display. The museum – one of the oldest in
Kent - divides the history of Dover into themed periods, from prehistoric times, through the Roman and Saxon ages, to
20 Mid Kent Living
the Tudors and Stuarts, and the development of Dover as a seaside resort in the 19th century and as a working port. It charts the development of the Cinque Ports, the geology of those infamous white cliffs and the influence the town had on the likes of playwright Noel Coward and Bond novelist Ian Fleming, who made it their home.
The museum holds themed family
days throughout the year, usually once a month, which are fun for children of all ages.
Monday-Saturday, 9.30am-5pm Sunday (April-Sept)
www.dovermuseum.co.uk 10am-3pm
TUNBRIDGE WELLS MUSEUM AND ART
GALLERY Dinosaur footsteps This Museum and Art Gallery shares the story of Royal Tunbridge Wells through fantastic collections of art, natural history, archaeology, crafts and toys. Charting the
discovery of its famous spa waters in 1606, it touches on everything in between — from its beginnings as Britain’s first holiday resort, and as an inspiration to artists, innovators, and political radicals, for more than 400 years. The museum, at Mount Pleasant, also has the world’s largest collection of Tunbridge Ware – a decorative souvenir woodware made from the 1600s to the 1920s – as well as a large toy collection, dating back to the 1700s, and one of the best Georgian portrait collections outside of London. Children will be fascinated by the dolls,
toys, and games, which date from the 1700s – a far cry from today’s technology-driven entertainment. The museum also boasts a fabulous
wardrobe of more than 7,500 clothes and accessories, from the 1700s to the present day, including wedding dresses, baby clothes, hair pieces and corsets. There are also more than 28,000 natural history specimens, with star attractions including a dinosaur footprint and a wildcat.
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9.30am-5pm Sunday and Monday Closed Admission: Free
www.tunbridgewellsmuseum.org
Images: Opposite, courtesy of Nikhilesh Havel
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