2025-11-28 13:17:28

Britain’s only carpet museum is shutting down.

The Museum of Carpet in Kidderminster – once the beating heart of Britain’s weaving industry – will close on December 20 after footfall dropped to just six visitors a day.

Geoffrey Gilbert, Carpet Museum Trust chief, is quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: “In the last four or five years we have really struggled. Running costs come to about £100,000 for the year but generating income to match that has been very difficult.”

The unique museum opened in 2012 to enthusiasts, school trips, and curious tourists who fancied a deep dive into 300 years of tufted, patterned history.

For a while, it even became a quirky cult favourite online – boasting a four-star TripAdvisor rating, with fans calling it “an absolute gem”.

One visitor said: “It was only a matter of time before the rug was pulled from beneath them.”

Another person penned: “Enjoyed my first shag pile in there when I was younger. Special place.”

And a third fan wrote: “It kept the history of the town’s industry alive for the younger generation.”

Housed in an 18th-century mill, the Museum of Carpet charged £6 for adults or £17 for families.

Visit Bang Bizarre (main website)