Museum exhibitions

Current exhibition - 'What’s New?'

Open Monday to Saturday 10am - 4pm.

The Museum’s policy is to collect, preserve, display and interpret material relating to the cultural and social history, archaeology and natural environment of Penrith and the Eden district. The current 'What’s New?' exhibition at the museum shows a selection of the material acquired more recently in keeping with this aim.

You will find the labels in the gallery give interesting information about the objects you can see. Among the objects on display are:

• A Stone Age blade of toffee-coloured flint from Newby.
• A Roman lead spindle whorl and palm guard from a field near Crackenthorpe.
• A Roman cable bracelet or armlet from Appleby, consisting of two strands of copper alloy tightly twisted together. The bracelet has ‘Find of Note’ status, being rare in the North West of England.

Also on display are:

• A pair of early 19th century cockfighting spurs from Great Strickland, which are surprisingly well preserved.
• A spoon carved from one piece of horn found in St. Andrew’s churchyard in Penrith, by the path to Mansion House.
• And an old Arnison’s Mineral Waters sign found at Granny Dowbekin’s Tearoom at Pooley Bridge.

There are two bronze plaques of the late 18th and early 19th centuries from the former Independent Congregationalist chapel at Park Head, Renwick, Kirkoswald. The plaques name the benefactors Joshua Gibson and the Reverend James Scott, recording his untimely death. 

From the sporting world there are wrestling items:

• A belt won in the Langwathby Rounds on January 1st 1866.
• The prize silver shield won by Thomas Powley of Longlands Farm near Shap, dated 1907.
• A pair of framed photographs showing Ernest John Harrison wrestling with a rival, circa 1920 -1930, along with a copy of his book ‘Wrestling. Cumberland and Westmorland - All-in and Catch-As-Catch-Can’.
• As well as large almost painterly portrait by photographer Charles Fearnsides of Penrith showing Alderman J. Simpson Yeates, Chairman of Penrith Urban District Council and founder of Penrith Swimming Club.
• And a variety of civic and commemorative shields, one recalling the match played in January 1984 between the local Penrith and Australian Penrith New South Wales rugby teams.

There's a separate case featuring the memorabilia from Eamont Bridge.

Artwork on display includes:

• The watercolour of White Hart Yard by Patricia Bille dated 1973.
• A pair of local landscapes by Olga Hobley.
• Annie Threlkeld’s sampler dated 1881.
• A Photograph taken at Aldershot, before the men of No. 6 Section 'B' Company, 8th (Service) Battalion The Border Regiment left for France, subtitled ‘Highest Points Musketry September 1915’.