Museum of Carpet

The Museum of Carpet stands in Kidderminster, a town in Worcestershire. It occupies a space once used by carpet manufacturers. The museum’s collection began in 1981 when the Carpet Museum Trust was formed. Its purpose was to preserve machinery, artefacts and archives from local carpet firms as the industry declined. Lord Cobham opened the museum to the public in October 2012. A special exhibition in 2019 featured Jan Bowman’s work from the Saatchi Gallery. The museum holds objects that tell the story of Kidderminster’s carpet trade. It recognises the town’s role in carpet manufacture over many years. The collection includes looms and tools once used in local factories. Visitors can see how carpets were designed and produced by hand. The displays explain the technical skills involved in weaving. The museum also keeps company records and photographs from the industry. Inside, the museum has rooms arranged to show different stages of carpet making. Visitors find large looms set up on the floor. Small exhibits show samples of early carpets and rugs. Information panels describe the history of local firms. The space feels like a workshop from the past. Outside, the building sits among streets that once housed carpet factories.