Aroundtown Magazine May June 2023 edition

HISTORY
Experience Barnsley
Bringing
history to life
Delve deeper into South Yorkshire’s rich heritage with a
visit to one of our brilliant local museums this summer.
From amazing artwork to the most weird and
wonderful artefacts, the museums in our area are
engaging places that tell some interesting stories
of years gone by.
All of the museums listed have been tried and
tested by the Aroundtown team and their families.
Many are run by our local authorities and so are
free to enter. The rest are non-profit, volunteer-led
organisations and have a small admission cost
which enables the sites to keep operating.
Maurice Dobson Museum
2 Vicar Road, Darfield S73 9JZ
Open Wednesday 1pm-4pm and Saturday
10am-4pm
Entry: Adults £2 Children 50p
An old Yeoman’s house in Darfield’s
conservation area, the museum has an eclectic
collection of historical treasures.
The house was once owned by Maurice
Dobson, an openly gay ex-soldier, who left the
building and its contents in his will to be used
as a heritage centre to benefit the community. It
opened in 2000 and over the years more items
have been donated by people from or with a
connection to the village.
From industrial heritage to domestic
memorabilia, the museum offers a comprehensive
and immersive insight of Darfield and its groundbreaking
history. Volunteer tour guides are onhand
to give an unrivalled narrative of the museum
and its artefacts.
There is a tearoom and gift shop on-site.
Find out more at www.darfieldmuseum.co.uk
Barnsley:
Maurice Dobson Museum
54 aroundtownmagazine.co.uk
Cawthorne Victoria Jubilee Museum
Cawthorne Victoria
Jubilee Museum
Taylor Hill, Cawthorne S75 4HQ
Open Saturday and Sunday 2pm-5pm plus
Bank Holiday Mondays
Entry: Adults £1 Children free
Originally opened in October 1889 for the
golden jubilee of Queen Victoria, the museum
has been owned by the village residents for
seventy years.
Much of its collection is based around natural
history, with taxidermy, butterflies and fossils.
There are some sights to behold including a twoheaded
lamb that was born on a local farm, and a
mongoose locked in deadly combat with a cobra.
Other areas of interest are local industries like
agriculture and glass blowing, war memorabilia,
and personal items that were brought back to the
village from the voyages of the Spencer Stanhope
family of nearby Cannon Hall.
Cannon Hall Museum
Cawthorne S75 4AT
Open Thursday to Sunday 11am-4pm
Free entry
One of the five sites managed by Barnsley
Museums, Cannon Hall Museum and its vast
parklands is a brilliant place for all the family.
Cannon Hall
The hall was once owned by the Spencer
Stanhope family but opened as a museum in
1957. Some rooms inside have been staged
with furniture to replicate how the hall would
have been used by the family. There is also a
ballroom and downstairs Victorian kitchen to
see. One room upstairs has a range of children’s
dressing up outfits, wooden toys and books for
younger visitors.
Many members of the Spencer Stanhope
family were artists, so the museum’s collection
pays homage to this through a mix of paintings,
ceramics, glassware and metalwork. On the
top floor is the dedicated De Morgan Museum
featuring works by William and Evelyn De Morgan.
The parklands include a walled kitchen garden,
fairyland, woodland trail, boating lake and
children’s playground. There are two cafes on-site.
Find out more at www.cannon-hall.com
Experience Barnsley
Museum
Barnsley Town Hall S70 2TA
Open Monday to Friday 9am-4pm and
Saturday 10am-3.30pm
Free entry
Another one of Barnsley Museums’ venues,
Experience Barnsley opened in the town hall ten
years ago dedicated to the people of Barnsley.
Its collection covers many areas such as
archaeology, industry, leisure and sport, and home
and family life. All the items on show have either
been found locally or donated by people from or