Chard Museum

Dating back to the late 16th Century, Godworthy House started life as a series of seven small cottages and a public house with skittle alley. The House was converted into a museum, opening in 1970, which holds an interesting and varied collection of artefacts telling the story of the local area, its geology and industrial heritage, alongside displays of notable local people, including pioneers of powered flight and the creation of artificial limbs.

Throughout their tenure on the site, the Chard and District Museum charity has occupied the site through a series of leases, but negotiations on the lease renewal in 2021 led the Council to offer the charity the option to purchase the building as a Community Asset Transfer.

In 2020, the AHF awarded the Chard and District Museum charity a Project Viability Grant to enable them to work with a specialist Museum Consultant and other advisors to determine that the purchase of the building was a viable option. On 31 March 2022, the Trustees successfully completed the purchase of the Chard and District Museum from South Somerset District Council, and the charity is now developing plans to expand their community engagement work and create a museum fit for the future. 

https://www.chardmuseum.co.uk

AHF Funding

Project Viability Grant - £8,000 (2020)

Image Credits

Chard and District Museum