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74. The Wilson Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum

The Wilson, Cheltenham's newly extended and renamed Art Gallery & Museum reopened it doors to the public in October 2013 with a transformational development costing about £6.3 million.

The building in Clarence Street has four new floors which house a gallery dedicated to The Wilson's extensive fine art collections, and two superb exhibition galleries for showing national and international touring shows.

Gallery space is also dedicated to the internationally renowned Arts & Crafts Movement, which was rooted in the Cotswolds. Temporary exhibition spaces are filled with varied programming including fun shows for families.

There are also open archives showing tales of local heroes, including Cheltenham-born Edward Wilson, one of Captain Scott's key men on his fateful 1912 expedition to Antarctica in which they both perished. The Wilson is named after the man considered by many to be Cheltenham's greatest son.

The Wilson also houses Cheltenham Tourist Information Centre, The Wilson Café and The Guild at 51.

At the Tourist Information Centre, located on the ground floor, you can find out what's on, where to stay and where to go in the wider Gloucestershire and Cotswolds area.

The Guild at 51 is the new shop from the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen, whose members continue to produce contemporary craft in the tradition of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Founded in 1933, the Guild seeks to promote the work of its skilled makers and offers a year-long programme of workshops, talks and exhibitions in partnership with The Wilson.

The Wilson Café serves a range of delicious food, from breakfast to light lunches, home-baked cakes and tea and coffee.

A spokesperson for the team at The Wilson described it as "a wonderful place to visit in Cheltenham".

"It's a source of both entertainment and information, with an ever-changing programme of exhibitions, events and displays," she said.

"Our welcoming staff are praised for their friendly approach. The Wilson is always worth a visit.”

The Wilson is open daily from 9.30am to 5.15pm but is closed on December 25 & 26 December, January 1 and Easter Sunday. Admission is free.

More information

The Wilson Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
Clarence Street
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50 3JT 

01242 237431 (Tourist Information Centre)
01242 257441 (The Wilson Café)
01242 245215 (The Guild at 51)
artgallery@cheltenham.gov.uk 
www.thewilson.org.uk

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