Astley Cheetham Art Gallery
Free art gallery above Stalybridge Library with British paintings, including works by Harry Rutherford; closed for access and restoration works.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Astley Cheetham Art Gallery in Stalybridge was given to the town by the cotton mill owner John Frederick Cheetham and his wife Beatrice Astley, who donated the building in 1901. The gallery occupies a former lecture theatre that was converted to show the collection, and it sits above Stalybridge Library on Trinity Street. The collection came to the town through Cheetham’s bequest in 1932 and was later enlarged by gifts from bodies such as the National Art Collections Fund and the Contemporary Art Society.
The collection holds more than 500 paintings, works on paper and a small amount of sculpture, with British landscapes and portraits from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a particular strength. It includes works by artists such as David Cox and Edward Burne-Jones and a group of paintings by Harry Rutherford, a Tameside artist who shows industrial and social scenes of the area. The gallery also staged temporary exhibitions and an annual Open Art exhibition for local artists, and it ran learning activities for all ages.
The gallery closed on 25 January 2025 for essential repairs and for work to improve access. The council plans a new lift, an external ramp and an accessible toilet. Tameside Council still describes the gallery as temporarily closed; no reopening date has been published.
Highlights
- British paintings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Works by Harry Rutherford, a Tameside artist
- More than 500 paintings and works on paper
- Free admission
- Annual Open Art exhibition (before the closure)
- Founded
- 1932
- Operated by
- Tameside Council (Tameside Museums and Galleries)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Before the closure the gallery was reached by stairs. The planned works include a new lift, an external accessible ramp and an accessible toilet.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
A few parking spaces are available just outside the building.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
