Penrith and Eden Museum

Who we are

Penrith and Eden Museum collects, preserves and displays material reflecting the history and culture of Penrith and Eden. The collection is broad including, for example, a fossil footprint from a reptile older than the dinosaur fossils found in the sandstone of the Eden Valley, objects from the Stone Age and the Roman period as well as a fine art collection. The museum provides school workshops at the museum as well as an outreach service and loans materials on a variety of topics including: Walking before Dinosaurs, The Romans, The Victorians, Eden Area Local Study, Exploring Using Senses, Maths, the Neolithic and World War Two. The workshops explore popular KS1 and KS2 school topics within a local context. The main curriculum areas covered are History, Art and Design, Maths. Loans materials and workshops provide pupils with the opportunity to handle high quality replica objects and real objects found locally. The education service is often delivered by a local artist who has incorporated creative activity into many of the workshops as well as specifically focussed art activities. Many of the workshops provide students with the opportunity to develop creative as well as investigative skills. The museum also take part in a number of special projects with schools each year when funding is available. The museum is currently working with Eden Grove school in Bolton on an Arts Award programme and are happy to tailor sessions to the particular needs of schools wherever possible. The fine art collection encompasses a fine group of Dutch and Flemish landscape and genre paintings, local topographical views and both 19th century and contemporary works by Penrith and Eden artists. Many of the museum’s paintings can be viewed on line. Of particular interest to schools is that the museums oil paintings can all be viewed on the BBC’s Your Paintings website. www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/. This website also contains advice and resources for teachers.