Take a look. Are you interested in knowing a bit more about Workington Heritage Group and the work we do to preserve local heritage? The Helena Thompson is both a museum and a community venue serving the town of Workington and the surrounding area. This elegant Georgian house is a Grade II listed building was bequeathed to the town by the late Helena Thompson.
Originally the building was in the care of the local authority but it is now managed by Workington Heritage Group under licence from Allerdale Borough Council. The museum, which is accredited by the Arts Council, reflects the area's history, industry, culture and social life through displays, interactive audio and visual information units and digital information.
Originally the building was in the care of the local authority but it is now managed by Workington Heritage Group under licence from Allerdale Borough Council. The museum, which is accredited by the Arts Council, reflects the area's history, industry, culture and social life through displays, interactive audio and visual information units and digital information.
Services
Park End was built around 1740 to provide a residence for the Steward of the Curwen family whose estates were centred on Workington Hall. At that time Charles Udale was the Steward. His daughter Sarah married Benjamin Thompson, a local solicitor, who at a later date also acted as Steward for the Curwen family.
The Costume Gallery is now a fabulous venue for weddings and seminars and other events. Councillor Joe Holliday donated his share of Cumbria County Council funds to this room which meant we could remove the old heavy wooden panelling and redecorate the space, turning it into the lovely light room you see today, which includes digital video equipment.
The original collection at the Helena Thompson Museum reflected the interests of the family and their way of life in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and certain subjects in which Miss Helena Thompson was particularly interested. The collection consisted of costume and textiles; antiques and curios; family possessions; portraits and domestic chattels dating from the second half of the eighteenth century.
The Lord of the Manor, John Cook kindly donated rose bushes which were named in memory of P.C. Barker who lost his life during the floods of 2009. Unfortunately, the rose bed acquired some kind of blight and the remaining roses had to be removed and were planted in Vulcans Park. We have repurposed the rose bed with a rockery, which is now quite an imposing feature in the gardens.
Why not book an afternoon tea in the museum for your group? At the same time, our volunteers are able to give you a talk. When booking please ask which talks are available at that time. Later you will be given a guided tour of the museum seeing the many artifacts we have on display. We can tailor these visits to suit your requirements and budget.
Reviews (16)
Lyndsey Houghton
Dec 22, 2021
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I absolutely love this place and I should go more. it's so full of history and so much effort goes into their themed nights i.e Halloween walk, Christmas crafts. haven't got a bad word to say about any of the… staff. they're all so lovely and always smiling and friendly.....they know their history too. special mention to Dorothy I think it is (I wish she was my nana!) I could spend all day with her 💜
Lisa Jane Ball
Dec 20, 2021
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Lynda Williams
Dec 17, 2021
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Scott Miller
Dec 16, 2021
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Joanne Parker
Dec 12, 2021
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Had afternoon tea. wow what a gem of a place. staff went out of their way to help you. they were so polite and friendly. the food was amazing. for what you paid you got a lot. I loved how they gave little extra touches like the soup in cups on top of the afternoon tea. my mother in law managed to get in and around and she has mobility issues. they… also have a bar and the prices are really good and they are 35ml measures instead of the usual 25ml. I loved how they never pushed you to eat up and go. you set the pace really. I can highly recommend this little gem and look forward to coming
Shane Ball
Nov 28, 2021
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Fiona Fi Greenoff
Oct 11, 2021
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Bob Gordon
Oct 07, 2021
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Sarah Hibberts
Sep 19, 2021
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Katie Louise Rumney
Sep 09, 2021
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A bit late in posting this but had my sons christening here in July, all I can say is amazing, from start to finish the team were so accommodating and friendly. Nothing was too much to ask, beautiful venue and the food was lovely! Would 100% recommend and will definitely be using the venue again in the future!
Rebeka Cuthbertson
Aug 17, 2021
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Jayne Barton
Nov 13, 2019
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Eve W.
Jun 11, 2019
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We had the most amazing time at this museum! We got there 5 minutes before closing and I'm not sure what his name was but a lovely guy still took us on a guided tour around the whole museum, we must have spent an hour or more in there after closing which was very kind of him. He went through all the artifacts in great detail and we had a laugh along the way. He really knew his stuff and I learnt so much about so many things. If you get time please support this amazing little place! And thank you to the man if you are reading this, you really made our week!
Mike Wild
Nov 09, 2017
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We did the museum tour a few years back. I was part of a bereavement group with my son.
I was surprised and impressed with the quantity of local historic items, and the intelligence of the guide who explained the items so well.
We also enjoyed the gardens at the rear of the museum, they are clean, well kept and structured in keeping with the museum.
If you are visiting Workington or west Cumbria, the museum is well worth a visit.
PS: You can also get married here, and the gardens would provide a lovely yet tranquil setting for photographs or even a marquee.
I was surprised and impressed with the quantity of local historic items, and the intelligence of the guide who explained the items so well.
We also enjoyed the gardens at the rear of the museum, they are clean, well kept and structured in keeping with the museum.
If you are visiting Workington or west Cumbria, the museum is well worth a visit.
PS: You can also get married here, and the gardens would provide a lovely yet tranquil setting for photographs or even a marquee.
Anthony Harriott
Aug 28, 2017
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This is a place of times gone by,by not embracing it ,but seeing it hands on what it was like.I believe this is a gold mine of information,as opposed,to children expected to just reading it in a book,you can see for yourself,by admiring the well kept artifacts,having the latest technology at your finger tips to see what it was like.see for yourself how hard it was someone to survive.note how many hours a eight year old was expected to work,how the mines must of been etc etc.besides Helena Thompson,this museum pays homage to the Curwens,who I've been told are a well known English gentry ,of very
Deborah Cosgrove
Sep 04, 2012
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