Stourbridge has two adjacent museums related to glass production, next to a bridge over the Stourbridge canal.

The Red House glass cone was built in 1794 and was in use until 1936. Similar cones housing the furnace used to dominate this area and other glass-making parts of the country. Now restored, the Red House cone is the best-preserved of the four left in the UK.

The cone was a giant chimney where the molten glass was made and around which the artisans worked. A Frederick Stuart worked there, and came to own it, and the products were known as Stuart Crystal.

Across the road is the Stourbridge Glass museum, on site of the old Stuart Crystal works.

While it has no cone of its own, it has tunnels below, and also a live display of glass-blowing. This museum concentrates on the various processes that turned the glass into a finished product.

Stuart Crystal’s prestigious works include a reproduction of the Roman “Portland Vase” in the British Museum, made in Cameo glass, a technique lost to history. In 1845, the vase was broken, and in the 1860s, glass works were challenged to create a replacement. Stuart Crystal finally succeeded in 1876. Stuart Crystal also produced the glass for the Titanic.

The programme is to arrive at the glass cone museum by 10:30 am (it opens at 10 am), where we will have a one hour guided tour of the cone, possibly split into two parties one after the other if we have more than 12 participants. We spend the rest of the morning exploring their galleries, exhibits and canalside site.
(Museum details at www.dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/museums/red-house-glass-cone/).

Travel and accessibility details etc. at:

www.dudley.gov.uk/media/vawjgxsr/accessibility-guide.pdf

We can get lunchtime snacks in their small cafe. If there’s sufficient demand, we could book the cafe’s lunchtime platters to avoid overwhelming them. (See the booking form.)

In the afternoon, we’ll cross the road to the glass museum for 2 pm.
Here we’ll visit the hot glass studio, where Allister Malcolm, resident glass artist, will be demonstrating glassblowing.
Then, about 2:45-3 pm we’ll have a guided tour of this museum, followed by tea or coffee and biscuits (included). This tour may also be split if there are more than 20 participants.
After that we can wander round, and depart at leisure.
You will also be able to visit Terri Colledge who is the resident cameo glass engraver in the activity room.
The museum closes at 4:30 pm.
Museum details at: www.stourbridgeglassmuseum.org.uk/
It is fully accessible. Details at:
www.stourbridgeglassmuseum.org.uk/accessing-the-museum/

Location:
The Red House Glass Cone
High Street
Wordsley
Stourbridge
DY8 4AZ

Price: £17 per person, deposit £5 pp by Saturday 14th March please.
Optional booked lunchtime platter if sufficient demand.

Please complete the attached booking form and return it to Organiser as soon as possible.

Word document     Printable Booking Form

Refer to the document Event Booking Conditions for Terms and Conditions.