Penshurst Place Toy Museum awarded £100,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The Toy Museum at Penshurst Place and Gardens in the Weald of Kent has been awarded a grant of £100,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, enabling the renovation and reimagination of this popular attraction.

Penshurst Place

In its 55^th anniversary year, the funding will allow the much-loved Toy Museum to create a refreshed, engaging and permanent exhibition that can be enjoyed by families, schools and lifelong learners alike.

New cabinets and display cases will ensure that Penhurst Place’s extensive collection of toys and games will be preserved for future generations. Interpretation boards and object labels will make it easier to view the artefacts and understand their history, while some of the objects – including the ever-popular 1920s automaton Drinking Bear, made by Roullet & Decamps of Paris – will be sensitively repaired by conservation specialists to ensure they can be enjoyed for many more decades to come.

Four new themed ‘zones’ will be created within the Toy Museum to engage, educate and delight visitors. Focusing on Games and Pastimes; Dolls and Bears; Building Blocks; and World of Imagination, these zones will be designed to inspire connections with the heritage on display, as well as encouraging visitors to recall their own history and stories to share with their families and friends.

The revamped Toy Museum will offer more interactive activities for younger visitors, including an activities area, a special trail to follow, and an exhibition space where local children and schools can show off their creativity.

The restoration project will see accessibility improved overall, enabling more people to enjoy the Toy Museum once it reopens. The installation of a new lift will provide access for wheelchair users, while sensory exhibits and additional interpretation, including British Sign Language signage panels, will make it easier for more visitors to interact with the collection.

The Toy Museum collection at Penshurst Place consists of around 2,000 items, with pieces dating from the Georgian period to the 1980s. It includes dolls’ houses and dolls’ house furniture; Pollock’s toy theatres; teddies; mechanical toys; rocking horses; story books; and games.

The refit will begin immediately with plans to re-open the Museum this summer.

Ben Thomas, General Manager at Penshurst Place, said: “The Toy Museum opened in 1970 and has long been a firm favourite with visitors of all ages. As well as providing a nostalgic trip down memory lane for some, the traditional toys and games really spark the imagination of children. We often see parents and grandparents sharing tales from their own childhood with the younger members of their family, so it’s a great way to inspire multi-generational conversations and connections.

 “We are enormously grateful for this grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will enable us to refresh and reimagine the Toy Museum, making it more welcoming, interactive and accessible. It will be made fit for purpose for the 21st century, providing a fantastic resource for the local community and schools, and helping to preserve this impressive toy collection for future generations to enjoy.”

 Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It is fantastic news that thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to support Penshurst Place to ensure that these amazing collections are preserved for years to come and will reach a wider audience.”