Back to Hat Works

So many hats!

According to this post, it's almost exactly nine years since I first went to Hat Works, the hat museum in Stockport. It has been closed for some time, for a refurbishment which took far longer than intended (thanks, Covid), but reopened recently. I went to visit yesterday, and it was well worth the wait.

Seen from the new walkway

The factory floor isn't greatly changed. Old favourites such as the block-maker's workshop are still in place.

Block making

The hatting machines all have new information boards, however, which show short film clips, made in the 1930s, of the machinery in use. These really bring the processes to life.

One of the new display boards

So much steam!

The big change is upstairs in the Gallery of Hats, which has been completely transformed. The whole space has been opened up, and made much brighter.

The Gallery of Hats

New lighting makes the displays easier to see, without damaging the hats.

Light and open . . .

And the hats themselves? Well, there are so many more of them. Whereas previously there were around 400 hats on display, now there are over 1,000.

. . . but still packed full of hats

The hats are grouped by themes, which allows the displays to show a variety of items from different cultures and eras. For example, the display of head wraps covers both turbans and a hat by Christian Dior.

The Dior hat is in the centre

Themes include design inspirations, and how the hats were made.

Straw and natural fibres

The decor is light and bright throughout

Inspired by the natural world

I loved the way that the displays include extra, related, items. Naturally, I couldn’t help noticing that the sewing machine was displayed back-to-front, but I'm going to be charitable and assume that the front had a bad case of pin rash!

Made at home

Marine inspiration

The display of hatmaking methods; sculpting, blocking, and draping, also has a maker's workbench, which I loved. It has a very realistic air of organised chaos, complete with tools stored in old tins and jam jars!

Examples of sculpting, blocking and draping

This will look familiar to any maker

It's not just hats, either. The museum’s collection of hatpins is displayed in a large pincushion.

Fearsome!

Amid all this, I was delighted to spot one of my favourite hats in the collection on display. I'm not sure why a tiny percher in the shape of a cauliflower appeals to me so much, but it does!

Absurd, but adorable

As you might have guessed, the new look Hat Works is a definite winner for me. I'm sure that children and families will love it, but there's much for those with a more in-depth interest to enjoy, too - which is not a balancing act which every museum manages to pull off. It's currently open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 10am to 4pm, with last admission at 3:15pm - full details are here. General admission is free, but the guided tour of the factory floor, which is available on selected days, has to be booked separately. Currently the 'getting there' section of the website only covers car and bus, but the museum is also close to the railway station and the new walkway to Viaduct Park makes getting there a doddle - thanks to Sue at Hat Works for telling me about it!