Bankfield Museum’s outstanding must-see exhibitions are set in a magnificently decorated Victorian mansion, 1 mile from Shibden Hall and Piece Hall.
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Bankfield Museum Address
Bankfield Museum Address: Bankfield Museum, Akroyd Park, Boothtown Road, Halifax, HX3 6HG
Bankfield Museum has Free Entry and a Free Car Park
Entrance to Halifax’s Bankfield Museum is free and only a short distance from the centre of Halifax, with free onsite parking and nearby public transport links.
Bankfield Museum Disabled Parking and Access
Disabled parking is to the rear of the building with building access via a ramp. All of the ground floor is wheelchair accessible, enabling access to all the main areas and galleries of the museum.
Toilets, disabled toilets and baby changing are all on the ground floor. Large print labels are available for exhibitions. Handling boxes are available for visually impaired visitors.
Bankfield Museum Halifax Opening Times List by Day
Sunday: Bankfield Museum is closed
Monday: Bankfield Museum is closed
Tuesday: Open 10:00 – 16:00
Wednesday: Open 10:00 – 16:00
Thursday: Open 10:00 – 16:00
Friday: Open 10:00 – 16:00
Saturday: Open 10:00 – 16:00
The History of Bankfield Mansion Halifax
Bankfield House was built in 1800. Colonel Edward Akroyd (1810-1887) was the grandson of James Akroyd, who in 1811 founded the world’s largest worsted manufacturers – James Akroyd & Son of Halifax.
Colonel Edward Akroyd bought Bankfield in 1838 and lived there with his wife Elizebeth Fearby of York. Their initials can be seen in on the marble fireplace in the Oak Gallery.
Edward Akroyd made many changes and additions to Bankfield. Colonel Ackroyd also built the adjacent ‘model’ village with modern facilities for his workers.
The houses at Ackroydon were built in various sizes for people from all economic classes, who were offered low-cost mortgages to buy them.
Edward Ackroyd named this development of 90 gothic-style houses Ackroydon. In the middle of the quadrangle, known as The Square, Akroyd had a monument called the Victoria Cross and it bears a long quotation from William Wordsworth’s poem ‘The Excursion.
Ackroyd also built All Soul’s church next door and another model village in Copley in the Calder valley.
Colonel Ackroyd sold Bankfield to Halifax Corporation in 1887 which opened it as a museum and library.
Enjoy the spectacular entrance to Bankfield Museum, Boothtown, Halifax HX3 6HG
Bankfield Museum Exhibitions and Events
Bankfield Museum’s displays cover Yorkshire and Halifax history, historical and TV-related costumes, art including oil paintings and sculptures, toys, local manufacturing including Mackintosh’s confectionary and Percy Shaw’s cats-eyes, military history including Captain Sir Tom Moore and the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, photographs, jewellery, ceramics and textiles from around the world.
The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
Bankfield museum tells the stories of the soldiers who served and represents over 300 years of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, since its raising in 1702.
The ‘Iron Duke’, Arthur Wellesley, was the Colonel of the 33rd which became, after his death, the only Regiment to be named after a person not of the Royal Blood. The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment has a long association with the town of Halifax.
Displays include items relating to the Duke himself and to the rich and varied history of the regiment, including the campaigns of 33rd and 76th foot and the World Wars of the 20th century, and the American Civil War including New York (1776-1779) and the Carolinas (1790).
Bankfield Museum Halifax – Oil on Canvas Portrait of Captain Sir Tom Moore by Lucy Smith (2020) donated by G.W.Topping
Bankfield Museum Halifax – What’s on 2022
Shibden 600 at the Bankfield Museum Halifax – open 8 January to 24 December 2022. Free entry.
Shibden 600 marks the 600th birthday of Shibden Hall, one of the most important buildings in the region, a building of international renown.
Shibden 600 at Bankfield Museum includes paintings by renowned artists such as John Horner, as well as objects from throughout the Shibden Hall’s history and offers a fresh insight into the meaning of one of the most historic buildings in Yorkshire’s Calderdale.
Highlights of Shibden 600 include a personal letter from Anne Lister, the most famous resident of Shibden Hall and the inspiration for the BBC/HBO Television series Gentleman Jack.
There is also the exclusive opportunity to see at Bankfield Museum, previously publically seen portraits of two key figures in the Anne Lister story – Charles and Mariana Lawton. Mariana was one of the great loves of Anne Lister’s life, and Mariana’s marriage to Charles caused much upset to both women.
Fashion In Anne Lister’s Time (1791-1840) at the Bankfield Museum Halifax – open 26 March 2022 – 24th December 2022. Free entry.
Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack) had her own unique style that contrasted with what women were expected to wear in her era.
This exhibition at Bankfield explains the many different styles of fashion during her lifetime and Features a selection of fascinating 1830s dresses and accessories from the collection at Bankfield Museum and many items loaned from other museums across the country.
Stitch Meets Print at the Bankfield Museum Halifax – open 01 April 2022 -4th June 2022. Free entry
The Textile Art Group is a group of eleven textile artists who live in Calderdale and the surrounding area who meet monthly at Bankfield Museum.
Stitch Meets Print is an exhibition of new work by the Textile Art Group exploring different printing techniques including collagraphy, digital printing and surface design using monoprints, resists and block printing with stitching adding layers of texture and colour.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee exhibition at the Bankfield Museum Halifax -open 14 May 2022 – 16 July 2022. Free entry
An uplifting celebration of our longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, marking her 70 years as sovereign and her relationship with the people of Calderdale.
Kate Lycett Exhibition – Woodland Paths and Grand Days Out Exhibition at the Bankfield Museum Halifax -opened 25 September 2021 – 15 March 2022. Entry was free
Kate Lycett is an artist based in the Calderdale town of Hebden Bridge, where she lives with her husband and three children. The exhibition at the Bankfield Museum is now closed, but Kate Lycett’s works and prints are for sale at the Yorkshire Gallery store at the magnificent PIECE HALL in Halifax, about 1 mile from the Bankfield Museum.
Bankfield Museum Cafe
A selection of snacks and hot and cold drinks are available. Gifts and literature including items relating to Anne Lister and Gentleman Jack are available.
Bankfield Museum Jobs
Bankfield Museum is run by Calderdale Council and they recruit both employees and also volunteers to assist with the running of the museum via Calderdale’s recruitment website.
