Britain’s only carpet museum to close down after visitors fall to just six a day

Britain’s only carpet museum will shut its doors for good due to falling visitor numbers.

The Museum of Carpet in Kidderminster, Worcestershire – billed the UK’s carpet capital due to its carpet manufacturing history – was a big hit when it opened in 2012.

But visitor numbers have dropped to an average of just six a day, not enough to cover running costs of around £100,000 a year.

The visitor attraction, housed in an 10th century mill, features hundreds of rug and underlay samples from the last 300 years.

In the early days the museum attracted coach loads of fabric fans and school groups.

It even gained a bit of a cult status online and has a host of five star reviews on Trip Advisor.

One reviewer writes:, ‘An excellent way to spend an interesting few hours’, while another says: ‘Absolutely fascinating. We were lucky that a volunteer who used to work in the carpet mills was on hand to add extra information and explanation.’

The museum itself has previously posted a tongue-in-cheek video of Gary Barlow describing the attraction as a ‘very nice day out’.

The museum, which charges £6 for adults and £17 for families, will close its doors for the final time on December 20.

Geoffrey Gilbert, chair of the Carpet Museum Trust, said: ‘Certainly, in the last four or five years we have really struggled and we’re about £30,000 to £50,000 short of what we need.

‘The business model we have for keeping the museum going produces a demand on us in terms of what would be staff, utilities and general running costs for the building.

‘It comes to about £100,000 for the year but generating income to match that has been very difficult over the years.’

Mr Gilbert said The Carpet Museum Trust would continue to look after the collection.

Dismayed locals said the town will be losing its ‘jewel in the crown’.

Retired teacher Emily Sykes, 64, said: ‘I am really sorry to see the museum closing.

‘When I was teaching we would often take groups of pupils to the museum for school trips but the schools don’t have the money now.

‘It’s a pity to lose it, it kept the history of the town’s industry alive for the younger generation.’

Social media users, meanwhile, shared their thoughts on the impending closure.

‘It was only a matter of time before the rug was pulled from beneath them,’ one said.

‘Enjoyed my first shag pile in there when I was younger. Special place,’ another added.

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