The Museum is housed in a series of buildings set around a courtyard, some of which are Grade II listed, including a 16th century timber framed building and a 19th century brick and flint function hall.  The aim was to build a museum and archive which was both beautiful and functional.

On entering through the ‘chocolate’ doors, visitors can follow Roald Dahl’s writing process and discover the ‘stories behind the stories’ on touch-screen monitors and through the

biographical galleries. In addition to visiting a replica of Dahl’s famous writing hut in the Story Centre, adults and children alike can be creative with words, characters and images with the help of their own Story Ideas Book and the interactive displays. Tours, story-telling sessions, craft activities, and author and illustrator events complete the story-centered experience.

The Writer in Residence scheme, funded by the Arts Council England, is another key way in which the Museum aims to stimulate enthusiasm for creative writing. Val Rutt was the first writer to occupy this post. She and the Museum’s Education Officer worked with schools in the area and residents of a local home for older people.  The second Writer in Residence, appointed in Autumn 2005, is Adam Guillain.

The capital budget was £4.3 million, half of which came from the Dahl family.  The rest came from private sources, charitable trusts, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the South Eastern Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (SEMLAC) and the Arts Council.  The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre is an independent charity.

Visitor comment: “The museum may be small but it has a big attitude.”

  Previous     Next  

Top