Clitheroe Castle Museum

Clitheroe Castle Museum is located in Clitheroe, Lancashire, England, in the former Steward's House, a Grade II listed building that was built in the 18th century to house the steward of Clitheroe Castle. It is a museum showing the history of the local area.HistoryThe museum was originally opened in 1954 in the Steward's Gallery, later moving to the Steward's House.The Clitheroe Castle Museum underwent a £3.5-million refurbishment and redevelopment and re-opened on 23 May 2009. It was officially opened on 23 June 2009 by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. As part of the redevelopment, a cafe and shop were added adjacent to the museum, and the Steward's Gallery was also refurbished as an exhibition area.The museum was named as a "Quality Assured Visitor Attraction" by VisitEngland in November 2009. The museum is owned by Ribble Valley Borough Council and operated by the Lancashire County Council. The museum is now located below the keep, and it charges only for adults to enter. The castle is freely open to the public.Surviving original features, such as gas lights, servant's bells and fireplaces, in the Steward's House remain in place.The museum has displays on geology, natural history, the history of the castle, Clitheroe, and the local area, as well as folklore and life in Clitheroe. It has period rooms of "The Collector's Study", based on the activities of a local collector, Frank B. Mitchell, who was one of the museum's founders; and the Victorian Kitchen. Its collection includes the locally found Mitton Hoard. The North West Sound Archive was located on the third floor of the museum; this was founded in Manchester in 1979 and relocated to Clitheroe in 1982; however it was closed in 2015.