The Beverley Treasure House

Champney Treasure House stands in Beverley, a market town in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The building combines a grade II listed Edwardian library and art gallery with a modern extension. Its red-brick façade and copper roof reflect the town’s civic heritage. Inside, visitors find archives, a public library, an art gallery and a museum. The top floor, called ‘The Tower’, offers a 360-degree view over Beverley Minster and the surrounding rooftops. The centre was created thanks to John Edward Champney, a local businessman who funded the original library and gallery. In 2007 a contemporary extension opened, paid for by a £3.9 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A time capsule buried in 2004 will be opened in 2054, containing pupils’ predictions of the future. The building now hosts exhibitions, events and free access to archives and books. On the first floor the Beverley Art Gallery displays British art alongside touring shows. Works by Frederick William Elwell and Dame Laura Knight hang alongside touring exhibitions. The museum on the same floor features the South Cave Weapons Cache of Iron Age swords. Children can try dressing-up costumes and drawing tables in the interactive gallery. The café and shop occupy the ground floor, linking modern and historic spaces.