The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum was founded by Sir Merton (1835-1921) and Lady (1835-1920) Russell-Cotes on Bournemouth’s East Cliff at the turn of the twentieth century. Apart from Sudley Art Gallery in Liverpool, the Russell-Cotes is a rare survivor as the residence of a Victorian private collector, which was purpose-designed and perpetuated as a permanent art museum. The Art Journal acknowledged that “Mr Russell-Cotes has devoted considerable time to the bringing together of probably the most notable collection of modern works of Art in the extreme south of England.
The distinctive tastes and personalities of Merton and Annie are still very much preserved today in the style of the building and the range of artwork on display. Merton’s collecting activities mirrored those of the nouveaux-riches merchants and industrialists of Britain’s cities, such as Liverpool, Bristol and Manchester. Generated by the products of Empire and burgeoning industry, the new wealth of these self-made men fuelled a huge boom in art. Eager to display their taste and affluence, these men endowed art galleries and museums on an unprecedented scale.
An important art collection, the Museum’s holdings are mainly British and is often seen as an anthology of Victorian art. Most famous are the works by leading nineteenth century painters, such as Sir William Orchardson, Arthur Hughes, Albert Moore, Edwin Landseer, Edwin Longsden Long and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
The depiction of women:
Perhaps the most individual feature of Merton’s collecting was his interest in the depiction of women. The collection abounds with representations of women, shown either as chaste, attractive girls or as icons of female sensuality.
Women artists
The founding collections include an impressive variety of the works by nineteenth century women artists including Louise Jopling, Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale and Jane E.B. Hay.
The earliest work by a woman is the charming rendition of a child in a woodland setting by Miss Dewsbury known as ‘Great Grandfather of the Donor as a Child’. Painted in the early nineteenth century at a time when very few professional female artists were known.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
Opening times
Open 10am - 5pm Tuesday - Sunday & Open Bank Holiday Mondays
(Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day)
Entry to the museum is FREE
Wheelchairs - manual and electric:
Most of the museum has lift access, except for the upper-ground floor of East Cliff Hall.
Electric vehicles/scooters:
Due to limited space, electric scooters need to park outside. Electric wheelchairs are welcome.
Assistance dogs are welcome when they are on-duty.
Bicycles:
Bicycle racks are located on East Cliff Promenade by the entrance. Bicycles are not permitted in the museum's historic garden.
Food and drink can be enjoyed in the Cafe at the Russell-Cotes but in no other areas within the museum
Filming and photography:
Due to collections care and intellectual property rights issues, NO FILMING OR PHOTOGRAPHY is permitted, unless by prior arrangement for commercial purposes.
No smoking is allowed in the museum or museum garden.
Pets:
Please note that pets, with the exception of assistance animals, are not allowed in the museum garden or in the museum.
GETTING HERE:
By Road
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.
Coaches
Coaches can set down on the overcliff drive close to the museum.
This location is convenient for other coach drop off points in Bournemouth.
By Coastal Walk
A beautiful coastal walk from Poole in the West or Christchurch in the East.
By Train:
There are regular direct trains running from London, the Midlands, and the North, as well as trains within the South.
We are easily accessible from Bournemouth railway station within Bournemouth Travel Interchange - a fifteen to twenty minute walk, a three to five minute taxi journey, or a short bus journey.
By bus
Yellow Buses and Wilts & Dorset Buses from the Travel Interchange run every 3-4 minutes and the journey time is about 5 minutes.
Yellow Buses:
Bus numbers are 2a, 2c, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6c.
Wilts & Dorset Buses: M1 and M2
The bus stop is between the Royal Bath Hotel and the Imax building on Bath Road (for Yellow Buses) or on Westover Road, opposite the Odeon cinema (for Wilts & Dorset Buses).
By Flight:
Bournemouth International Airport is about a twenty minute drive away.
Yellow Buses operate the 747 bus service between the airport and the Travel Interchange in Bournemouth.
Café at the Russell-Cotes:
The licensed café is set in a unique, light and airy space designed by five regionally based craftspeople and offers freshly prepared, imaginative food and beverages with daily specials. Vegetarian and children’s options are available.
Open 10.00am - 4.30pm every day except Monday (last orders for hot food 3.00pm).
Easter 2010 opening:
The Cafe will be closed on Easter Monday 4 April but open as normal every other day.
The Museum is open on Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday (closed Good Friday).
Address:
Russell-Cotes
Art Gallery & Museum
Russell-Cotes Road
East Cliff
Bournemouth BH1 3AA
UK