About

Established in 1974, the Museum recently celebrated its 40^th anniversary as an independent working museum concerned primarily, but not exclusively, with the story of the supply of water for public consumption from earliest habitation to the close of the 20^th century.

The Waterworks Museum – Hereford is a not for profit museum structured as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It also has full accreditation status under the Arts Council England scheme which sets nationally agreed standards for museums in the UK.

The Museum’s goal is to be recognised as a specialist museum that brings industrial heritage to life, and a museum that is:

• a valued learning resource for schools, further and higher education and for lifelong learning;
• attractive and accessible (financially, physically and intellectually) to all groups in society; and
• a family friendly museum in every sense,

and to do this is a way that supports the local community and regional and local tourism priorities.

The Museum receives no public funding. Instead it operates with the support its benefactors and revenues from admission fees, grants, awards and membership subscriptions.

Many of the Museum’s members are also Volunteers - active or retired engineers, scientists, technicians and others, who routinely convene at the Museum throughout the year. Some give their time to the restoration, installation and maintenance of the Museum’s site, building and its collections. Others support administration and marketing activities, or in the provision of education, stewarding, catering and other valuable services needed to operate the Museum. The Museum’s Trustees and Directors are volunteers.

On a typical Tuesday, there may be up to 30 Volunteers on the Museum site. This contribution meant that in 2015 the Museum was able to welcome over 5,400 visitors to Hereford.

Did You Know!