Melton Carnegie Museum

My Top 3

This past week saw work start on the extension to Melton’s Carnegie Museum. The Heritage Lottery fund has supplied a grant of £969,000, which will aid the Museum in Thorpe End to double in size and help safeguard its future. Sadly the Museum will close for a year while the work is undertaken.

The Museum originally opened in 1977, within the former Andrew Carnegie Library which was built in 1905. In 1983 when the National Museum of Hunting Trust was formed it was decided that because of the town’s rich history with fox hunting, the Carnegie Museum should include materials on the sport. Fox hunting has played a key role in the museum with more recent displays featuring arguments for and against Fox Hunting.

The Carnegie Museum has played host to many exciting displays over the years detailing the history of Melton and the events that have helped shape the town from exhibitions on Stilton Cheese, Pork Pies, shoe making to the origins of the phrase paint the town red and more recently an informative display documenting the history of Howell Works (a local steel works).

We look forward to the Museum re-opening its doors in a year’s time. It’s very important that residents of Melton understand the importance of the town’s history and Identity. These are two key aspects we believe are watered down in modern Britain. Museums play a key role in making sure they are not forgotten.