Redcar’s Kirkleatham Museum & Grounds has retained the Visit England accreditation of a Quality Visitor Attraction.
Scoring an impressive 85% on its assessment, Visit England noted:
- The quality of customer service encountered in all areas and the retail experience;
- TripAdvisor continues to be a useful platform for visitor feedback. Of the 244 reviews a positive 93% were rated as either ‘Excellent’ of ‘Very Good’;
- The car park is to an excellent standard overall;
- The area enhanced first impressions due to the high level of maintenance, variety of trees and greenery, and attractive lighting;
- The range of content in the Museum was broad and relevant to the local area.
- Standards of cleanliness continue to remain high in all areas demonstrating good cleaning routines in operation;
- The retail area was a highlight of the visit. Professional fixtures and fittings were installed to a high standard and enhanced the overall quality of display of merchandise. The range of stock was relevant and of a high quality.
Councillor Carl Quartermain, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Communications, said: “Kirkleatham Museum & Grounds is a real jewel in our crown here in Redcar and Cleveland. I’m thrilled that Visit England has recognised its strengths and reaccredited the Quality Visitor Attraction award.
“It’s hugely popular with locals and visitors from outside the area. The staff work really hard to maintain their high standards and I know they won’t be resting on their laurels. They’ll already be hard at work looking to not only maintain but improve the museum’s offer.
“Congratulations to them all. They’ve certainly earned this early Christmas gift.”
Kirkleatham Museum is home to several permanent displays, hosts regular special exhibitions such as this year’s popular Brick Dinos and a display explaining the Sirius Minerals polyhalite project and is a superb location for large scale events including the Festival of Thrift and Puppet Festival.
The museum attracted a record 112,000 visitors in 2017/18, with more than 10,000 guests welcomed in just one weekend (Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 December) for a Victorian-themed Christmas event. The museum team is confident that next year’s Steel Stories, a celebration of the region’s steel history, will see yet more people visit and enjoy this historic attraction.