Portland Basin Museum

Free museum in a restored canal warehouse in Ashton-under-Lyne, with a 1920s street, Tameside industry displays and a play area for children.

Opening hoursFree admission Wheelchair accessible Café

Website Directions

About the museum

Portland Basin Museum stands at the junction of the Ashton, Peak Forest and Huddersfield Narrow canals. Its home is the Ashton Canal Warehouse, built in 1834 for the canal company. A fire in 1972 badly damaged the warehouse and the top two storeys had to be taken down.

Tameside Council took the building on and began a two-stage restoration. A small heritage centre opened in 1985, and in the late 1990s the warehouse was rebuilt to its original height. The enlarged museum opened in 1999.

Inside, visitors walk through a re-created 1920s street with furnished terraced-house rooms, a schoolroom and shops. A lower-level gallery shows products made in Tameside, such as hats, coal and textiles, along with displays about local transport. The museum also holds objects from the wider Tameside collection, and canal boat trips leave from the waterfront.

Highlights

Re-created 1920s street with houses, school room and shops
"Made in Tameside" industry displays (hats, coal, textiles)
Transport displays and models
Play area with dressing-up and a mini train
Canal basin setting with boat trips

Permanent exhibitions

1920s street – A re-created street with furnished terraced-house rooms, a school room, a grocer's shop, a fish and chip shop and a pub.
Made in Tameside – Displays about local industries such as hatting, coal and textiles, with models showing how transport developed in the area.

Founded: 1999
Operated by: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the museum is free. Canal boat trips from the museum waterfront are charged separately.

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Elevator: no information
Accessible restroom
Accessible parking
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

The museum describes itself as fully accessible, with level access from the main entrance to the 1920s street, reception, toilets, shop and industrial gallery, and two toilets for visitors with disabilities. The approach to the entrance slopes gently down over uneven cobbles, so wheelchair users may need help getting from the car to the museum. A detailed accessibility guide is available from the museum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Hands-on stations
Playground / play area

The lower level has a play area where children can dress up, play shop, read and ride a mini train, and the 1920s street is explorable. The car park can be very busy on event days and in school holidays.