Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

General information

Discover a very special treasure when you are in Morpeth.
Housed in the delightful medieval Chantry buildings next to the River Wansbeck is Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum. It is home to a unique collection of 150 sets of pipes, including the remarkable bagpipe collection of William Alfred Cocks (1892 - 1971), a clockmaker from Ryton, near Newcastle.
• Discover the traditional Northumbrian pipes with their delicate chant
• See how they compare to the Highland and Irish Bagpipes
• Find out how they are made and how pipes have developed over the centuries
• Understand the difference between pipes with bellows and mouth pieces
• Learn about aficionado, expert and collector, W A Cocks
• Move and play Cantaria – a special light and sound feature
Click here to see a few images of the Museum
Click here to search for bagpipe related information and images in the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn.
The pipes collection belongs to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Chantry building itself was founded for a priest to say Mass, pray for Christian souls, and keep a grammar school. He also collected bridge tolls. The school was granted a charter by Edward VI in 1552 and operated until 1846. Since then it has been used for a wide variety of purposes from a cholera hospital to a mineral water factory. Today the building is also home to the Northumbrian Craft Centre.

Part of Woodhorn Charitable Trust alongside Berwick Museum and Art Gallery, Hexham Old Gaol and Woodhorn.