Westbury Manor Museum: closure update
In December 2023, Hampshire Cultural Trust informed Fareham Borough Council of its intention to withdraw from the operation of Westbury Manor Museum on 31 December 2024. Hampshire Cultural Trust currently operates Westbury Manor Museum on behalf of Fareham Borough Council.
With effect from Monday 2 September, Westbury Manor Museum will change its opening hours to the below:
- Monday 10:00am – 2:00pm
- Thursday 10:00am – 2:00pm
- Friday 10:00am – 2:00pm
The ground floor of the museum only will be open to visitors. This includes the café, which will be open as normal. The first floor of the museum, which is home to displays about Fareham and the surrounding area, will be closed to the public from Monday 2 September. As Hampshire Cultural Trust works towards handing Westbury Manor back to Fareham Borough Council, the closure of the first floor is necessary so that work can begin to document, clean and remove the delicate objects on display. We have a duty of care to our visitors, staff and volunteers, and the process of removing the objects cannot be undertaken safely while the first-floor museum is open to the public.
The ground floor of Westbury Manor Museum will continue to be open to the public throughout September and October, including the October half term holiday. Westbury Manor will close fully to the public from Monday 4 November. This closure will enable us to complete the safe removal of all the objects that are in the museum and also ensure that Westbury Manor is in the best possible condition before we hand it back to Fareham Borough Council on 31 December.
More information about the closure of Westbury Manor Museum, and what will happen to the objects that are currently on display, is available in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).