Western Approaches Museum
Western Approaches Museum, Rumford Street, Liverpool | |
| Location | Derby House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°24′27″N 2°59′35″W / 53.407612°N 2.9930017°W |
| Director | Dean Paton |
| Public transit access | Moorfields railway station |
| Nearest parking | Rumford St, L2 8SZ |
| Website | http://www.liverpoolwarmuseum.co.uk |
The Western Approaches Museum in Liverpool, England, is a museum chronicling the work of Western Approaches Command around Atlantic convoys, combating the U-boat menace and the Battle of the Atlantic. Set in the restored former Second World War command centre responsible for coordinating the effort, the museum consists of re-opened rooms housing artefacts from when the command centre was in active use.[1]
The museum includes a tour that covers the Central Operations room, cypher room, a 1940s street scene, NAAFI canteen and community classroom facility. It also contains the original Gaumont Kalee Dragon projector which Winston Churchill used to watch secret war footage.[2]
Since September 2017, the museum has been run by a social enterprise group, Big Heritage.[3] Since taking over, Big Heritage has undertaken a restoration of the site, unearthing artefacts and parts of the facility that had been closed off since the 1960s.[4] The museum now hosts a special exhibition entitles "The Arctic Convoys - A Shared History" and an exhibition dedicated to the women of the WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service).
On 24 October 2021 it was announced that the custodianship of the German U-boat U-534 was to be given to heritage charity Big Heritage, operators of the Western Approaches Museum in Liverpool who plan to build a new visitor facility to open in 2026.[5]
References
- ^ "Western Approaches - History". Liverpool War Museum. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ Atkinson, David (8 February 2018). "Take the kids to … Western Approaches, Liverpool War Museum". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Big Heritage – Big Heritage take over Western Approaches HQ site". Big Heritage. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ Johnson, Mark (18 September 2017). "Inside Liverpool's secret WW2 bunker which is opening to the public". The Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ Barnes, Ed (30 April 2024). "Plans for new U-boat museum at Woodside given greenlight". Birkenhead News. Retrieved 30 April 2024.