Westmorland and Furness Council’s Dock Museum has been nominated by Visit England for their Hidden Gem and Welcome Awards.
Following a recent visit from a mystery shopper on behalf of Visit England, the Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness has received not only a fantastic score rating of 89% but two award nominations in the Hidden Gem and Welcome categories.
Visit England’s Accolades are designed to celebrate excellence within the visitor attraction sector and showcase businesses that go the extra mile to provide a high-quality day out. Accolades are given for the following categories: Welcome, Best Told Story, Quality Food & Drink, Hidden Gem and Gold.
Previously awarded the Hidden Gem Award in 2021-22, the museum is built over a 19th century dry dock in a channel-side location and boasts galleries exploring the history of the people and industries of the Barrow-in-Furness area, changing exhibitions, a gift shop and a café.
Councillor Virginia Taylor, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Communities and Localities, said:
“I’d like to congratulate all the team at the Dock Museum on this wonderful news. It represents well-deserved public and industry recognition of all they do - hard work of course, but more than that, their constant attention to creating the best customer experience and showcasing this fantastic museum. As a council we are proud to have such a great bunch of people amongst us!
“The Dock Museum really is a ‘hidden gem’ and I encourage anyone who hasn’t been already to visit soon. Barrow’s shipbuilding history comes to life, there’s a great playground, café, and what is more it’s free (and has a big carpark). You can do other things too while you’re there – miles of sandy beaches, nature reserves, birding spots and seal-watching, as well as visiting Furness Abbey - whose red ruins are as impressive as Rievaulx or Fountains.
“Fingers crossed that the team are rewarded with the win they deserve!”
Amanda Shaw, Let’s Go Culture Project Manager for Cumbria Tourism, added:
“It comes as no surprise that The Dock Museum scored so highly on their Visit England inspection. The team always offer visitors a genuinely warm welcome and go above and beyond to help people who are researching their family history or the local area. We are delighted for them and so pleased The Dock Museum is participating in the Let’s Go Culture campaign, which is promoting cultural venues across Westmorland and Furness.”
