About
Housed in one of the last remaining Victorian villas in Bournemouth, it was originally lived in by Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes.
The main part of the museum is based on the collection of souvenirs collected from around the world by the family including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, America and Hawaii . The mikado room is based on their many Japanese objects.
In 1907 Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes announced that they were giving their home together with their collections of art and beautiful objects to the people of Bournemouth.The Russell-Coteses continued to live in the house, which was officially opened in 1909 with public admission on the first Wednesday of the month, up until their deaths in 1920 and 1921 respectively
Know Before You Go
From London: Take the M25, then the M3, M27 and A31 to Ringwood. From Ringwood follow the A338 (Wessex Way) to Bournemouth. From the North & West: Head for the A31/A338 junction (Ashley Heath) just outside Ringwood, taking the A338 (Wessex Way) to Bournemouth. From the Wessex Way: Turn onto the A35 (St Paul's Road). At the roundabout take the third exit (B3066) along Holdenhurst Road. At the next roundabout take the third exit (B3066) onto Bath Road. At the next roundabout take the third exit (B3066) down Bath Road. Either turn left onto Russell Cotes Road to park on the cliff top or continue down Bath Road to the car park. Parking The closest car park is on Bath Road, which has access onto East Cliff Promenade. Parking is also available on the cliff top or there are a number of other easily accessible car parks nearby. Disabled parking spaces are also available.
Published
March 18, 2010
