Collections Research and Enquiries

Towneley Hall welcomes research enquiries relating to our museum collection and aim to support researchers as best we can within the capacity of our small team. Please read the following information carefully before submitting your enquiry.

Submitting an Enquiry

All enquiries should be submitted in writing, perferably via email to: museumenquiries@burnley.gov.uk

Please include as much information as possible to help us process your request efficiently:

• Your research question and any current information which may be relevant
• Museum object numbers, name of object, people associated with the object, descriptions or images
• Outline deadlines or time constraints

Scope of Support

• Each enquiry will receive up to 1 hour of staff time free of charge.
• If further research is required beyond this initial hour, it will be charged at £75 per hour.
• We welcome one enquiry per person to be accepted at time.

How enquiries work

• We aim to send an initial response to all enquiries within 10 working days.
• Please note that our collection includes over 30,000 objects. Some research may take longer than 10 working days, depending on the complexity and availability of information. If this is the case then a member of staff will contact to explain this situation.
• Due to the nature of our small team and the size of our collection, research time is limited and prioritised based on feasibility and relevance.

» Some items in the collection may not be available for viewing due to their size, fragility, or conservation status. We will inform you if this affects your enquiry.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)