Clitheroe Castle Museum

Clitheroe Castle Museum stands in the small market town of Clitheroe, Lancashire, inside the former Steward’s House. The house was built in the 18th century to house the castle steward and is now a Grade II listed building. The museum tells the story of the local area through geology, natural history, and social life. It occupies space below the castle keep and keeps original features like gas lights, servant’s bells, and fireplaces. Displays include the Mitton Hoard, a collection of locally found objects, and period rooms such as the Collector’s Study and the Victorian Kitchen. The museum also once housed the North West Sound Archive until its closure in 2015. The museum opened in 1954 in the Steward’s Gallery before moving to the Steward’s House. A £3.5 million refurbishment in 2009 transformed the building and added a café and shop. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, officially reopened it in June 2009. It was later recognised as a “Quality Assured Visitor Attraction” by VisitEngland in November 2009. Owned by Ribble Valley Borough Council and run by Lancashire County Council, the museum highlights the life of Frank B. Mitchell, a local collector and one of its founders. Paintings on display include works by Benjamin Satterthwaite and Edward Cawthorne. Visitors find rooms filled with local history and art. The Collector’s Study reflects the interests of Frank B. Mitchell, while the Victorian Kitchen shows domestic life of the period. Paintings such as *Boating at Brungerley* by Benjamin Satterthwaite depict riverside scenes near Clitheroe. Another work, *Grouse Shot in Flight* by William Woodhouse, shows a game bird in detail. Portraits of James Thomson, a former mayor and industrial chemist, and his wife Cecilia hang in the gallery. The museum’s displays connect the town’s past with its present in a quiet corner beneath the castle.