Spring clean at museum founded by George Cadbury

The historic manor house founded by chocolate-maker George Cadbury will close on Monday for a deep clean and repairs.

Selly Manor Museum, in Bournville garden village, Birmingham, is made up of two buildings and houses a collection, with some items dating back to the 16th Century, which has been mostly assembled by Cadbury's son, Laurence.

Items there include paintings, furniture and domestic objects, and photo albums.

"We are the custodians of some amazing history, so it's important that we care for the historically valued objects in the museum," said Daniel Callicott, heritage manager at Bournville Village Trust, which manages the museum.

"An annual deep clean gives us chance to get into the nooks and crannies we can't usually reach and pay much closer attention to the museum's objects, with each item carefully scrutinised to make sure there's no damage or need for conservation works."

"Volunteers in our Collections Club have made a huge difference to our efforts, and recently cleaned 16th Century carvings using just cotton buds and deionised water."

The village trust was founded by George Cadbury in 1900. He rescued the manor house from destruction and rebuilt it, before it was opened as a museum in 1916.

The volunteers help to protect and preserve the collection and items.

The museum had more than 23,500 visitors in 2025, and ran events including weddings, school visits, a memory cafe and exhibitions.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.