Hat Works Museum
Love a hat? In the late 19th Century, wearing a hat was all the rage and Stockport, a Greater Manchester town, became the epicentre of hat making. It became a prosperous town on the back of it. The Hat Works Museum, located in the centre of Stockport, is dedicated to the history of hat making and the skilled workers who made them.
The museum introduces mechanisation of the hatting industry and the ground floor introduces fur felt hat-making which began in the Stockport area from the 17th century.
One of the most atmospheric parts of the museum is the recreation of a hat block maker’s workshop and office. Wooden hat blocks, to mould hats around, were essential to the hat maker. A labyrinth of lathes with a web of leather driving belts also still function. Children will enjoy seeing the old-fashioned office, complete with desk diary and cigarette packet, and walking through a mock-up of a back kitchen of a small terraced house where workers once lived.
The museum's well worth a visit. The factory floor is only open for booked tours which you can book here.
Venue details
- Address:
- Hat Works Museum
- Wellington Road South
- SK3 0EU