Full cost of ‘bigger and broader’ Walsall Leather Museum building revealed
Walsall Council announced last week the new location for the Leather Museum at 1-3 The Bridge.
The former draper’s store building was purchased by the Conservative-controlled authority last month for £725,000.
Walsall Council plans to move the current Leather Museum building on Littleton Street West into the town centre property.
Councillor Gary Flint, portfolio holder for culture and wellbeing at Walsall Council, said the new museum offer will be ‘bigger and broader’ than what exists at Littleton Street West.
The council has also promised to showcase exhibits aside from leather that are currently in storage.
Speaking on BBC Radio WM last week, leader of Walsall Council Mike Bird said that the ‘majority of the ground floor will be leather’ and the upper floors will be for ‘children and children’s services’.
Walsall College will move its SEND offering into the existing Leather Museum building from its current site at Hawbush Road.
The college currently shares the campus at the former Forest Comp School with Walsall Arena which is also set to be relocated to the town centre.
Last week, Historic England listed the Leather Museum building as Grade II, describing it as ‘illustrating Walsall’s leather industry at its height’.
Walsall Council said the Leather Museum will close on April 11, 2026, marking the end of the last remaining museum in Walsall.
