Broadfield House Glass Museum to close after 35 years
Broadfield House Glass Museum will shut its doors for the final time next month as part of the next stage of a multi-million pound project.
The acclaimed attraction, based off Compton Drive, Kingswinford, is well known to glass enthusiasts across the world.
It has featured in television shows and hosts exhibitions featuring pieces dating from the 17th century up to the present day.
But the museum will close its doors to visitors on September 30 at 4pm after more than 35 years.
The closure comes as plans gather pace for a new £5 million museum of glass to be built in Wordsley.
It will be based on the White House Glass Cone site, opposite the Red House Glass Cone visitor attraction.
The museum is being funded by a £2.13m European grant and the proceeds of the sale of Broadfield House will be part of the council's contribution.
Collections from Broadfield House will be mothballed at the site in the meantime.
Glass artist Allister Malcolm has his studio based at the museum where he holds live demonstrations for visitors and works on commissions.
He was first given space in the studio in 1997 and says that it will be a sad moment when the museum closes.
"It will be a sad time but I'm optimistic that we are moving forward and it will be good," he said.
"But I do have mixed feelings at the moment."
Mr Malcolm is in talks with the British Glass Foundation, which will run the new museum, over continuing demonstrations at the venue.
Meanwhile, a project is under way to collate people's memories of Broadfield House before its closure.
They are asking people to celebrate its legacy by sharing pictures of the museum from its past and present.
People can upload images to Twitter using @Glass_museum or call 01384 812745 for details.
Broadfield House's original structure was a two storey farmhouse built in the mid or late 18th century.
In the early 1800s this farmhouse was transformed into three-storey residence.
An 18th century threshing barn survives as a glassmaking studio with Mr Malcolm artist in residence.
After the Second World War Broadfield House was used by local government as a home for unmarried mothers and then the elderly.
It opened as a glass museum in 1980 to house some of the Stourbridge and Brierley Hill collections.
A modern all-glass pavilion extension was added to the back of the building in 1994 and is now the main entrance to the Glass Museum.
