Our Collections & Archives
The Museum holds a diverse collection of objects and an archive rich with the detailed documentation of the history of the North Craven area, its social, industrial and cultural development.
The Museum of North Craven Life is an accredited museum, but what does that mean?
The Museum Accreditation Scheme is run by Arts Council England. It was established to make sure that museums, such as ours, manage our collections well, engage with our visitors and are properly governed.
Please be aware that we cannot accept donations of objects or archive material without an appointment with our Curator. We have a collection development policy, which ensures that our Museum only collects specific items that have a connection to the people and places of North Craven.
As we are an accredited museum, we require you to make an appointment for several reasons:
- We must check our collection records to ensure we are not duplicating objects or material and that the item fits with our collection policy – there may be a local museum better suited to take the object for their own collection; we can advise you about whom to contact.
- We must also condition-check each new object, to ensure that it is sound and will not bring anything potentially damaging (such as bookworms or moths) into our collection.
- We want to be able to help you identify and understand the object that you have brought to us, and to ensure that it is safe and secure.
- We require a form to be completed by everyone donating an object and our collection team is trained to do this according to national guidelines.
Our collection and curatorial team are always happy to answer any questions you may have. You can email them via info@thefolly.org.uk or use our contact form.
We hope to be able to digitise and share our collection and archive with you in the near future.
