Toy museum at stately home reopens

The Toy Museum at Penshurst Place and Gardens was opened in 1970

A toy museum at a stately home in Kent has reopened to the public following a restoration project.

First opened in 1970, the Toy Museum at Penshurst Place and Gardens houses over 2,000 toys, including items from the Sidney family who have lived at Penshurst since 1552.

The project, undertaken to celebrate the museum's 55th anniversary, was made possible by a £100,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Curator Nicky Stitchman, who oversaw the restoration, says it has "allowed us give the collection the care it deserves".

The museum, which sits within a converted 19th century carpenters' workshop at Penshurst, has been redesigned into four zones: Dolls and Bears, Games and Pastimes, Building Blocks, and World of Imagination.

Cabinet with 120-year-old teddies and Moggie, the Georgian doll with her silk dress

Key items in the collection include 18th century Queen Anne doll Moggie, and Soldier Ted, the childhood toy of Dr The Hon Philip Sidney, heir to Penshurst Place.

The 1920s automaton 'Drinking Bear' by Parisian toymakers Roullet & Decamps also features in the collection, and will return later this year after undergoing repairs in Glasgow.

He said: "As a family home, sharing these collections with the public has always been important to us.

"The Toy Museum celebrates the enduring importance of toys and play across the generations, and it's wonderful to see my childhood teddy, Soldier Ted, alongside other treasured family toys displayed so beautifully in the reimagined exhibition."

Penshurst Place has also introduced the popular 'Toys Through Time' workshops for schools, where toys from different eras are used to help bring history to life for pupils.

After reopening last Thursday, the Toy Museum is now open daily between 11:30 and 15:30 BST until 2 November.