Newtown Textile Museum

The Textile Museum is situated at 5-7 Commercial Street in Newtown.The building is a fine example of a typical early 19th century weaving shop. It consists of two floors of six (now three) back-to-back cottages and two large rooms on the second and third floors running the full length of the building. The six cottages would have housed a family each. Most members of these families would have worked in the weaving shop on the two floors above either as handloom weavers or with associated work .

In 1962 the late Major Peter Lewis of Newtown formed a committee to purchase and preserve this building and to create a record of the history of the woollen industry in Newtown. Volunteers worked hard to create a textile museum which was opened to the public in 1967. In 1990 the museum charity was transferred to Powys County Council. At the time of transfer the conditions of the galleries, the collection and the displays were not meeting the professional standards of a modern museum.

During 1995-1996 the museum was restored and renovated, resulting in a venue meeting the standards of a modern museum in terms of environment, care of collections and interpretation. In 1999 a National Heritage Lottery grant made it possible to carry out conservation and refurbishment work to the exterior of the whole building, including restoration and replacement of windows and doors and improvements to the courtyard and access to the museum.