Derbyshire: Pickford House Museum Derby

Part of the Derby Museum and Art Gallery along with the Silk Museum, Pickford's House is a pretty little house museum that is a snapshot of what life was like in a Georgian Household. Joseph Pickford had this home built for his family in the mid-eighteenth century. He was an architect and he had his workshop also on the property. None of the original furnishings are in the house but things that might have been there are. Stop at the gift shop and get a brochure and a photography pass if you want to take photos for your own use, the charge is one pound.

The first room you visit is the morning room. The lady of the house is seated at her pianoforte picking out a tune and there is a tea set up on the table. This room is one that may not have served this purpose when the Pickford family was in residence. There is some evidence that this room may have been Mr. Pickford's Office.

As you go into the Front Hall you will notice that there is a TV and if you choose there is a 15-minute video that you may watch, just ask the staff. We chose not to spend the time, also there are only two chairs, The Hall does, however, have a lovely ceiling, take the time to enjoy it.

The drawing room has a lovely fireplace which though no the one original to the room is from Mundy House in Wardwick, Derbyshire. It is from about 1790 and seems to be by the same man who made the fireplace for the Dining Room here at Pickford's House.

I think the Dining Room was our favorite. It is set for a dinner for six and has all the things that a formal dinner would require, a silver nutmeg grinder, Wedgwood dessert custard cups, Sheffield Plate candlesticks, Derby dessert set and ever so much more. We spent quite a while just trying to figure out what everything was. There is a servant present and he is getting things ready for the dinner.

I loved the second floor. It is filled with several rooms of costume. This is far more interesting than your usual costume museum. There is a case of Victorian woman’s Undergarments that is enough to make any modern woman shudder. There are two cases of children’s clothes, one of boys one of girls. In the next room, there is a case of the different dresses that a woman would need on any given day just to go about her day. Morning dress, walking dress, evening dress etc. You will enjoy reading the story of the clothing revolution that was going on as women, in particular, decided that comfort and practicality counted.

The third floor has a servant bedroom and The Frank Bradley Collection of Toy and Model Theatres.

The basement has a kitchen, laundry, and a brewhouse.

Pickford's House is a very entertaining museum to visit and I highly recommend it. 

Additional Places to Visit: 

Silk Museum

Derby Art Museum

Derby Cathedral