IN PICTURES: Final closing time for glass museum

Staff and artists at Broadfield House Glass Museum said it had been a 'very sad day' but were delighted so many people came along on closing day to give the site a fitting send-off.

The decision to close the museum was made as plans for a new £5 million museum of glass to be built in Wordsley gathers pace.

It will be based on the White House Glass Cone site, opposite the Red House Glass Cone, in High Street.

The museum off Compton Drive, Kingswinford was well known to glass enthusiasts across the world and featured in a number of television shows.

Items exhibited dated from the 17th century up to the present day.

Glass artist Allister Malcolm, who had his studio based at the museum, said Wednesday had been a day of mixed feelings.

"Obviously it was a very sad occasion having to say goodbye to Broadfield," he said.

"However there was also optimism as well with people looking forward to the future in the shape of the new museum.

"A lot of people came along for Broadfield's last day. A lot of people from the community were very sad to see it go."

Mr Malcolm said he would continue to work from the Broadfield site until Christmas even though it is closed to the public.

He said he was in talks with the British Glass Foundation, who will take on the management of the new site when it is built, about continuing demonstrations there.

The new 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.

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.