37-585: Staffordshire County Museum is housed in the Servants' Quarters of Shugborough Hall , Milford , near Stafford , Staffordshire, England. The museum features a restored Victorian kitchen, laundry and brewhouse as well as permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions. In November 2016, the management of the Shugborough Estate was returned to the National Trust and the museum at Shugborough
74-565: A local lawyer and ancestor of the Earls of Lichfield . The estate remained in the Anson family for three centuries. Following the death of the 4th Earl of Lichfield in 1960, the estate was allocated to the National Trust in lieu of death duties , and then immediately leased to Staffordshire County Council . Management of the estate was returned to the National Trust in 2016. It is open to
111-457: Is a stately home near Great Haywood , Staffordshire , England . The hall is situated on the edge of Cannock Chase , about 5.8 miles (9.3 km) east of Stafford and 4.7 miles (7.6 km) from Rugeley . The estate was owned by the Bishops of Lichfield until the dissolution of the monasteries , upon which it passed through several hands before being purchased in 1624 by William Anson,
148-415: Is also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2009. Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 1974 have been: Following the 2021 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to December 2023, the composition of
185-678: Is the costume collection, which features costume and accessories from the last 400 years including wedding dresses, samplers and servants' costume. The museum holds a collection of shoes and boots from Lotus Ltd, Stafford and Stone's last shoe manufacturer. The fine art collection reflects the landmarks, landscape and people of Staffordshire, and includes locally and nationally known artists such as Thomas Peploe Wood (1817–1845), his brother Samuel Peploe Wood (1827-1873), John Prescott Knight (1803–1881) and Mabel Frances Layng (1881–1937). These collections are displayed in galleries which explore themes including health, toys and costume as well as within
222-513: Is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Staffordshire , England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county , which additionally includes Stoke-on-Trent . The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2009. It meets at County Buildings in Stafford and has its main offices nearby at Staffordshire Place on Tipping Street. Elected county councils were created in 1889 under
259-477: The Local Government Act 1888 , taking over many administrative functions that had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions . The four boroughs of Hanley , Walsall , West Bromwich and Wolverhampton were considered large enough to provide their own county-level services and so they were made county boroughs , independent from the new county council. Conversely
296-513: The Shire Hall in Stafford, the courthouse which had served as the meeting place for the quarter sessions which preceded the county council. The first chairman of the council was Dudley Ryder, 3rd Earl of Harrowby , a Conservative peer and former member of parliament . Additional county boroughs were later created at Burton upon Trent in 1901 and Smethwick in 1907, removing them from
333-409: The coronation honours of William IV . The Earl led an extravagant lifestyle and amassed several large debts, which, in 1842, forced him to sell the entire contents of the house in a two-week-long sale. While the 2nd earl did much to restore the house and contents to its former glory, by the time his son inherited the estate it was heavily mortgaged . In 1831, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent,
370-535: The 1850s. The collections reflect Staffordshire's social and agricultural history in areas such as: The museum houses a collection of internationally renowned horse-drawn carriages. These include carriages owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury at Ingestre , Staffordshire and the Dyott family of Lichfield , Staffordshire . The museum also houses the nationally significant Douglas Haywood Puppet Collection. Another highlight
407-432: The 19th century, the house was further altered and extended by architect Samuel Wyatt . The pavilions and passages were incorporated into the main building, and a new porticoed entrance front with ten Ionic pillars was created at the east. These pillars resemble carved stone but are hollow timber structures. This was done for Thomas Anson, the 1st Viscount Anson and his wife Anne Margaret Coke, daughter of Thomas Coke,
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#1732791572869444-418: The 1st Earl of Leicester , whom he married in 1794. The hall, as it is seen today, is built in a neo-classical style and encased in slate , sanded to resemble stone. Like many landowners of his time, Thomas Anson (1695–1773) took a keen interest in the landscaping of his parkland. The land around Shugborough was largely flat, which ensured that trees, follies and water would play an important role in shaping
481-455: The 6th Earl, decided to relinquish the lease of the apartments, thus severing the family's direct links with the estate. In 2016 Staffordshire County Council handed the estate back to the National Trust, with 49 years remaining on its lease. The move is expect to save the council £35 million, with the Trust intending to renew investment in the property. The grounds and mansion house are open to
518-483: The Admiralty in 1751, amassed a great fortune during his naval career, and when he died without issue he left the majority to his elder brother. Thomas also died childless and the estate passed to his sister's son, George Adams, who adopted the surname Anson by royal licence. In 1806, George's son Thomas (1767–1818) was created 1st Viscount Anson. His son, the 2nd viscount , would be created 1st Earl of Lichfield in
555-561: The administrative county ceded eleven urban districts and one municipal borough in the Black Country area at the southern end of the county to become parts of county boroughs. Staffordshire was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan county in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The county council regained authority over Burton and Stoke, but lost the Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District to
592-457: The administrative county. In 1910 the administrative county ceded Burslem , Fenton , Longton , Stoke-upon-Trent and Tunstall to the new County Borough of Stoke on Trent , which also took in the previous county borough of Hanley. Territory was also transferred on a number of occasions from Staffordshire to the neighbouring county borough of Birmingham , which gained Harborne in 1891, Handsworth in 1911, and Perry Barr in 1928. In 1966
629-529: The brewhouse has been a working exhibit since 2007, operated by Titanic Brewery . Since 2011 the private apartments have housed an exhibition of the work of Patrick Lichfield. His cameras and lighting gear have been set up in a recreation of his studio, and there is a gallery of some of his most famous photographic subjects. The state rooms at Shugborough Hall include The State Dining Room, The Red Drawing Room, The Library, The Saloon, The Verandah Room, The Anson Room and The State Bedroom. These contain some of
666-522: The city of Lichfield , which had been a self-governing county corporate since 1553 with its own sheriffs and quarter sessions, was not considered large enough to be a county borough and so it was included in the county council's area. The county council was elected by and provided services to the part of the county outside the county boroughs, which area was termed the administrative county . The 1888 Act also said that urban sanitary districts which straddled county boundaries were to be placed entirely in
703-590: The council in 2011. When the county council was first created in 1889 it met at the Shire Hall in the Market Place in Stafford, which had been completed in 1798. Shortly after the council's creation it built itself a new meeting place and offices at County Buildings on Martin Street, adjoining the side of Shire Hall, with the new building opening in 1895. The council later outgrew County Buildings, and by
740-418: The council was: The next election is due in 2025. Since the last boundary changes in 2013 the council has comprised 62 councillors representing 60 electoral divisions , with each division electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years. The council has its main offices at Staffordshire Place, a modern office building on Tipping Street in Stafford. The building was purpose-built for
777-705: The county which had the majority of their population, and so Staffordshire gained the parts of Burton upon Trent which had been in Derbyshire and the parts of Tamworth which had been in Warwickshire , but lost the parts of Dudley which had been in Staffordshire to Worcestershire . The first elections to the county council were held in January 1889. The council formally came into being on 1 April 1889, on which day it held its first official meeting at
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#1732791572869814-417: The existing manor house and constructed a three-story building which still forms the central part of the hall. William's elder son, Thomas Anson MP (1695-1773), would further extend the house in the 1740s, adding two pavilions flanking either side of the central block. It was Thomas's younger brother, however, who would fund these changes; Admiral George Anson , created Lord Anson in 1747 and First Lord of
851-684: The future Queen Victoria , then 13, visited Shugborough with her mother, the Duchess of Kent , as part of an extensive tour of the country. The young princess stayed with many local landowners at the time, including the Earl of Shrewsbury . Passing from east to west through the southern part of the park is the Trent Valley Line , planned in 1845. The railway runs underground in the 777-yard (710 m) Shugborough Tunnel and therefore has minimal visual impact. The tunnel entrances, which are listed grade II , are highly decorated, in particular
888-548: The inscriptions "O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V" and "D.M." . The monument has been internationally well-known since 1982, when the book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail drew attention to the mysterious Shugborough inscription . Carved by Peter Scheemakers , theories have abounded, including some which suggest it may indicate the whereabouts of the Holy Grail . Staffordshire County Council Staffordshire County Council
925-469: The landscape. The grounds contain a number of follies , many of which, such as The Chinese House and two Chinese-style bridges, have a Chinese theme , in honour of Admiral George Anson. Admiral Anson, who had visited Canton , left a considerable sum of money to his brother Thomas Anson when he died, which was used to develop the hall and estate. The Chinese House and the red iron footbridge are both grade I listed. In 1760, Classical architect James Stuart
962-642: The last 200 years. The museum exhibits objects from Staffordshire County Council 's collections, which hold over 25,000 social history artefacts, 35,000 photographs and 1,800 items of fine and decorative art. The strength of the collections are items relating to domestic cooking, cleaning and laundry. Particular areas of collecting include costume and textiles, medicine, coins and medals, archives, social history and land transport. The large and varied photograph collection contains over 35,000 photographs covering Staffordshire places, buildings, people, trades, organisations, activities, entertainment, transport and events since
999-575: The most opulent and highly decorated interiors in the hall. The Verandah Room contains a 208-piece porcelain dinner service commissioned to commemorate Admiral Anson's circumnavigation of the globe in HMS Centurion . The dinner service was offered to Admiral Anson in gratitude for assisting in fighting the huge fires that were destroying the merchant district in Canton. (Story narrated by Shugborough guide October 2015). The State Bedroom overlooks
1036-409: The new West Midlands county (which also covered the county boroughs in the area that were already outside the administrative county). Stoke-on-Trent regained its independence from the county council in 1997, becoming a unitary authority . Staffordshire County Council provides county-level services. District-level services are provided by the area's eight district councils: Much of the county
1073-406: The old house and created a new mansion. The entrance front, then facing to the west, comprised a balustraded, three-storey, seven-bayed central block. In about 1748 his great-grandson Thomas Anson (1767–1818) commissioned architect Thomas Wright to remodel the house, which was extended with flanking two-storey, three-bayed pavilions linked to the central block by pedimented passages. At the turn of
1110-432: The public and comprises the hall, museum, kitchen garden and a model farm. The Shugborough estate was owned by the Bishops of Lichfield until the dissolution of the monasteries around 1540, and thereafter passed through several hands, until it was purchased in 1624 by William Anson (c.1580–1644), a lawyer, of Dunston, Staffordshire for £1,000. In 1693, William Anson's grandson, also called William (1656–1720), demolished
1147-414: The public. The attraction is marketed as "The Complete Working Historic Estate", which includes a working model farm museum dating from 1805 complete with a working watermill , kitchens , a dairy , a tea room, and rare breeds of farm animals. Originally restored in 1990, the estate's brewery is England's only log-fired brewery that still produces beer commercially. Previously used only on special occasions,
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1184-584: The restored Victorian servants' quarters, recreated school room, chemist and tailor's shops. The museum's agricultural collections are displayed at Shugborough Park Farm. Access to the fine art and craft collections is provided through temporary exhibitions at the Shire Hall, Stafford as well as displays at the County Museum and Shugborough Park Farm. A growing number of photographs and objects from Staffordshire County Museum's collection are accessible online. Shugborough Hall Shugborough Hall
1221-459: The terrace and was occupied by Queen Victoria during her childhood visit. The private apartments were the living quarters of 5th Earl and his family until 2010. The Boudoir, with its silver gilt wallpaper , is the only room in the hall with hand-painted ceilings with gold detailing. Other rooms include The Lilac and Yellow Bedrooms, The Sitting Room and the completely circular Breakfast Room. In about 1693, William Anson (1656–1720) demolished
1258-546: The western approach which dates from 1847. The drive to the hall is carried over the tunnel by a bridge, about 380 yards (350 m) north-west of the Lichfield Lodge, which also dates from 1847 and also listed at grade II. The double-track line is part of the West Coast Main Line , running north-west between Colwich Junction and Stafford . Following the death of the 4th earl in 1960, an agreement
1295-611: Was closed to the public. In March 2017, the estate was reopened by the National Trust including some of the displays which were part of the County Museum in the servants' quarters and farm. Staffordshire County Council intends in the future to move the County Museum Service to the planned new Staffordshire History Centre on the site of the Staffordshire Record Office . Staffordshire County Museum collects objects relating to Staffordshire life over
1332-582: Was employed to design a number of monuments. Stuart had visited Athens in the early 1750s, and Ancient Greek influences are obvious at Shugborough. Stuart designed for Anson a copy of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates and a grade I listed triumphal arch based on the Arch of Hadrian in Athens . The Shepherd's Monument is a stone and marble folly within the grounds of Shugborough hall, engraved with
1369-426: Was reached whereby the estate would pass to the National Trust in lieu of death duties. The deal was finalised and the house opened to the public in 1966. The estate was immediately leased to Staffordshire County Council, who managed and maintained it on behalf of the National Trust, with Lord Lichfield retaining an apartment in the hall until his death in 2005, paying a nominal rent to the new owners. His successor,
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