Gainsborough Heritage Centre has reached the fantastic milestone of ten years since reopening across three floors in 2016. The centre is located at the corner of North Street and Spital Terrace in its own historic building. Built as a post office in 1904, it opened by 1905 as a fully functioning telephone exchange and post office.
The centre charts Gainsborough’s industrial development, with dedicated displays showcasing farming machinery manufactured in the town’s once-busy factories. The machinery was not only used by local farmers but also sold and exported worldwide, bringing prosperity and wealth to the town. The exhibition team enjoys updating and refreshing the displays to share new objects and stories. The latest changes include a new post-office display about the heritage of the building, as well as new artefacts in the 20th century street scene and industrial exhibition. These regularly changing displays give returning visitors fresh details to discover.
A new exhibit features a county courthouse desk once used by a registrar working on civil cases. Made in 1955 by the Long Eaton firm Gimson and Slater, which was known for high-quality mid-century work, it bears the crown and cypher of Queen Elizabeth II and was supplied to the Crown for Civil Service use. Objects displayed inside the desk drawers help share the story of Marshall, Sons and Co. Visitors can investigate the Marshall stories hidden within it on the industrial exhibition floor.
The next fundraising talk will be held at the Club on the Park on Thursday 22nd October at 7.30pm. Sir Nicholas Bacon KCVO, OBE, DL will share stories and knowledge of his uncle in ‘Uncle Hicky’, a talk about the life of Sir Hickman Bacon, an Edwardian gentleman. Entry is £5.00 in cash, and the bar is also cash only.
Visitors can explore Gainsborough’s engineering past through the extensive archives for family and local history research. The centre and research library are open every Tuesday and Saturday from 10.00am to 4.00pm, with last admission at 3.00pm. Entry is £3.00, while children and members enter free. Annual membership costs £15.00.
The centre is a fully accessible museum, with a lift, ramp access and accessible toilet, alongside a cosy tea room and gift shop offering souvenirs and local publications.
For more information, visit http://www.gainsboroughheritage.co.uk.