Lymm Heritage Centre

About the museum

Lymm Heritage Centre is run entirely by volunteers as a registered charity. It was created with the help of a Heritage Fund project, supported with £88,000 from the Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, that ran from March 2017 until the end of January 2021 and was extended partly because of the coronavirus pandemic. Terry Waite CBE is the patron of the charity.

The centre stands in the middle of the village on the short, pedestrian-only Legh Street. Its main exhibition, the Lymm Story, follows the life of the village through the Victorian fustian-cutting industry, gold beating, salt extraction and an earlier slitting mill, then looks at how the Bridgewater Canal and the railway changed everyday life, and finally at local customs such as soul caking, rushbearing, morris dancing and the May Queen festival.

The project also produced the Lymm Digital Archive, an online collection of photographs, documents and stories about the village that can be explored from home. Families can use a free activity book and a village trail, and the team offers talks, guided walks and school resources on local history.

Highlights

• The Lymm Story: fustian cutting, gold beating, salt and canal history
• Local traditions such as soul caking, rushbearing and morris dancing
• Lymm Digital Archive with photographs and stories online
• Family activity book, village trail and dressing-up
• Talks and guided village walks for groups

Permanent exhibition

• The Lymm Story – The core display covering Lymm’s trades, transport and traditions, from fustian cutting and gold beating to the canal, the railway and local customs.

Founded

2017

Operated by

Lymm Heritage Centre CIO (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free; donations are welcome to support the volunteer-run charity.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• 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

A ramp gives step-free access to the centre, which is all on one level and has an accessible toilet. Visitors who cannot enter the building can explore the collection online, and the team can bring objects and give talks to groups, clubs and residential homes on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties: not available

A free activity book, a village quiz trail with a prize, dressing up, a floor jigsaw timeline, a fossil hunt and a locomotive display that children can drive make the centre child-friendly. The venue says it is not suitable for children’s parties.

Getting there & parking

The centre is in the village centre, off Bridgewater Street, next to Saddlers and the Youth & Community Centre. Legh Street is a very short pedestrian-only street reached by the cobbled slope from Eagle Brow, opposite the Spread Eagle; brown signs lead the way.

Amenities & dining

The centre sells local books, prints and gifts (also via an online shop). Cafés and pubs are nearby in the village.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 40 guests.

The exhibition room (about 11 m by 7 m) can be cleared and rearranged and seats 35 to 40 people. It is hired out for talks, meetings, interviews and low-impact activities such as yoga or craft groups; it is not suitable for children’s parties, hot food or sports. Equipment includes a projector, a touch screen, an accessible toilet and a small kitchen area; free Wi-Fi is mentioned for hirers.

Plan your visit