The two-year project will focus on celebrating and safeguarding Barrow's industrial and social heritage by utilising the nationally significant photographic collection of local photographer Ken Royall. The museum, operated by Westmorland and Furness Council, also received an additional £10,000 from Furness Maritime Trust.
Charlotte Hawley, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Museums and Collections Manager, expressed her delight, stating, “We are thrilled to secure this significant funding… This funding will allow us to digitise and fully catalogue more than 20,000 photographs and negatives from the Ken Royall collection, ensuring they are cared for and accessible for future generations, and making this remarkable record of Barrow’s people, industries and communities freely accessible online for the first time.”
The project will also engage local communities through oral history projects, exhibitions, photography workshops, and a campaign called ‘Were You There?’, encouraging residents to share their experiences and contribute to how Barrow's story is told. A strong focus will be placed on young people, families, and older residents to build skills, confidence, and pride in place.
This funding success follows hot on the heels of the Dock Museum winning the Best Art/Culture Venue prize at the recent Cumbria Life Awards 2026. Earlier this year, the museum achieved an exceptional 92% score in a VisitEngland assessment and last year received the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism accolade at the Cumbria Tourism Awards.
The council is also investing in essential heating maintenance work at the museum, which is housed in a 19th-century graving dock. The museum will close from 4 November and re-open in the new year to protect the collections during the works. Ms Hawley noted, “This is a unique building and it’s crucial for the long-term care of the collection that the environment is consistent.” The closure will not affect the start of the ‘Barrow in Focus’ project.
