“We’re committed to showcasing Walsall’s proud leather-making heritage.”
Walsall Leather Museum is to move to a new site in the centre of the saddlery town.
Walsall Council has purchased 1-3 The Bridge, a former draper’s store, between the High Street and the Walsall Leather Skills Centre, to house the museum.
Walsall Leather Museum, which has been on Littleton Street West since it opened in 1988, documents the area’s rich leather and saddlery heritage.
Last year, rumours that it was to close prompted a petition signed by 2,000 protesters.
Now, following news of its relocation, the council has confirmed that the museum’s final day on its current site will be Saturday, 11 April.
A specialist project manager will oversee storage of the museum’s collections of 600 books, trade catalogues and historic photographs of local factories and workers dating back to Victorian times.
The council says there will be no mandatory redundancies.
Ideas wanted for museum’s future
The Walsall Leather Museum’s new home has a prominent corner frontage and large, full-height windows across the ground and first floors.
Inside, its open plan layout offers space for display, learning, making and socialising.
“Purchasing this building shows our commitment to Walsall Leather Museum and to showcasing Walsall’s proud leather-making heritage,” says Walsall Councillor Gary Flint.
“We want to ensure it remains an important part of the borough’s cultural offer for future generations. We are keen to hear from anyone with ideas to help shape the next chapter for the museum.”
Patrick Burns, director of the Walsall Leather Skills Centre, said he “fully supports” the Leather Museum’s move.
“Its new location, right next to the Walsall Leather Skills Centre, presents a great opportunity to inspire local people and visitors alike to reconnect with Walsall’s heritage and rediscover the story of the town’s proud leather-making history,” he added.
Visitor numbers to the Leather Museum have fallen since the Covid-19 pandemic – from around 30,000 annually to 13,941 in 2025, according to Walsall Council.
“Relocating the museum presents an opportunity to increase footfall and evolve the offer, delivering better value for money while showcasing the borough’s heritage and modern industry through an imaginative and engaging visitor experience,” it says.
