Museum and galleries in Tameside welcome back visitors

Portland Basin Museum and the Market Gallery in Ashton, and the Astley Cheetham Art Gallery in Stalybridge have reopened to the public.

They both opened their doors again on Wednesday 19 May, following the further easing of Covid-19 restrictions planned. 

Changes to the way the museum operates are in place. To manage numbers, visits must be pre-booked at www.tameside.gov.uk/portlandbasin and can last around an hour. Opening times are 10am to 3pm (Wednesday to Sunday).

There is a one-way system around the exhibits with hand-sanitising stations and extra cleaning measures introduced. It is also compulsory to wear a face covering and observe social distancing.

While the children's play area remains closed for the time-being, there are a wide range of craft activities to try at home - available at www.tameside.gov.uk/culturecrafts

To celebrate reopening, the museum will be handing out craft bags packed with activities for children to do at home. The theme of the bags has been inspired by the current exhibition, “Nature’s Wonders”, which features objects from museum’s natural history collection.

The bags will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis to people who book a visit to the museum. Thanks to funding from Arts Council England and Museum Development North West, the museum is also giving away craft bags at local foodbanks.

Admission to Portland Basin Museum remains free and there is free parking. People are welcome to take full advantage of the picturesque walks alongside the surrounding canals.

The Astley Cheetham Art Gallery also has extra safety measures in place.

No booking is required to visit the gallery, which is situated inside Stalybridge Library on Trinity Street.

Its opening hours are: Wednesdays 1pm to 5pm, and Saturdays 10am to 3pm. Visitors can see a display of the gallery’s historic art collection, with new exhibitions of local artists’ work coming soon.

Exhibitions at the Market Gallery at Ashton Market Hall have also resumed, with artist Vanessa Dixon’s work in the spotlight.

Vanessa focuses on local places, buildings and customs, such as Whit Walks. She often bases her paintings on old photos and videos, which she brings back to life on canvas.

Her work will feature alongside an exhibition on local transport using photographs from Tameside Council’s archives.

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