Saltwell Park Museum Collection

The Saltwell Park Museum collection includes wood carvings, taxidermy and sculpture, some of which will be on public show for the first time since the late 1960s. We are working on a new display which opens in Spring 2016 and will feature some of these collections. We are really interested in hearing from members of the public about their memories of the museum, to help us inform and create the display.

Helen White said: “The Saltwell Park Museum objects will be displayed in a ‘cabinet of curiosities’, allowing people to see this fascinating collection which is an important part of Gateshead’s heritage.

“The collection has been hidden from public view for many years, so we are looking forward to being able to get it back on display thanks to this funding.”

Many of the items which will be displayed were on show in Saltwell Towers until the late 1960s.

The funding from the DCMS / Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund will allow a refurbishment of one of the spaces in the Shipley Art Gallery, creating a new display for the Saltwell Park Museum collection.

Gateshead residents and community groups will be involved in the creation of the new display, helping to decide which items from the collection will be chosen to go on show.

Helen White added: “Many residents of Gateshead fondly recall the former museum in Saltwell Towers and we will be working with the people of Gateshead to find out exactly which objects they would like to see in the Shipley Art Gallery.

“This won’t be a static display, it will change from time to time, allowing us to bring as many of the items back into the light as possible.”

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation said: "This partnership between the Wolfson Foundation and DCMS is an exemplar of how a charity and government can work together. We are delighted to be funding so many wonderful projects across the length and breadth of the country. The country's museums and galleries continue to be an inspiration."

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The Government is committed to supporting the arts and making sure our marvelous museums and inspiring galleries continue to be accessible to all. Thanks to the generosity of the Wolfson Foundation our cultural destinations in communities across the country are going from strength to strength and remain much loved places to visit and explore.”

Councillor Peter Mole, Cabinet member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, says:

“It’s great to hear that some of the exhibits from the old Saltwell Towers museum are going back on public display after all these years.

“After the original Saltwell Towers building was deemed unsafe and was closed down, I knew its collections had been safely stored away somewhere but I think everyone had more or less forgotten about them. So it’s fantastic to hear that some of those collections still exist, and even better news that they are to go back on display again in Gateshead.

“I’m sure that a lot of older residents who remember visiting Saltwell Towers in the fifties and sixties will be keen to have a look and perhaps re-live their childhoods!”

Saltwell Towers, former home of William Wailes and later to lawyer Joseph Shipley (founder of the Shipley Art Gallery), was the seat of the former Saltwellgate estate and was used for a number of purposes, including as a hospital during the First World War and as a museum from 1933 to 1969.

Following a £3 million, five-year refurbishment programme, the building was officially reopened as a visitor centre in 2004.

Work will now begin on creating a new home for the collection at the Shipley Art Gallery.

Do you remember the museum? We are interested in hearing your stories. Please contact info@theshipleyartgallery.org.uk or call (0191) 477 1495 or come into the gallery and complete a postcard.