The Toy Museum at Penshurst Place & Gardens, one of Kent’s most enchanting heritage attractions, has officially reopened following a major reimagination and conservation project to celebrate its 55th anniversary.

The transformation, made possible by a £100,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, has refreshed the beloved museum’s interiors, improved interpretation, and enabled the restoration of many of its most fragile and rare toys, ensuring they can be enjoyed by future generations.

A family treasure shared with the public

First opened in 1970 by William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L’Isle, the Toy Museum is housed in a converted 19th-century carpenters’ workshop within the Stable Yard at Penshurst Place. It is home to over 2,000 toys dating from the Georgian period through to the 1990s, including items from recent generations of the Sidney family, who have lived at Penshurst Place since 1552, as well as donations and loans.

The collection offers a vivid insight into the history of childhood, featuring dolls’ houses, teddy bears, mechanical toys, rocking horses, board games, construction kits, books and more. Treasured objects include the 1920s automaton ‘Drinking Bear’ by Parisian toymakers Roullet & Decamps (currently undergoing restoration in Glasgow and making a much-anticipated return later this year), a fragile Victorian paper Peep Show, which depicts the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral, and ‘Moggie’, a rare Georgian Queen Anne doll complete with her original handmade cotton undergarments and silk gown.

Curator Nicky Stitchman, who oversaw the project, explains:
“The Toy Museum has been a source of joy for generations of visitors. It’s also an important record of the way toys reflect social history – from craftsmanship and materials through to storytelling and imaginative play. This reimagination has allowed us to give the collection the care it deserves, improve how we tell its stories, and create a more engaging experience for everyone who visits.”

Four immersive new zones

The redesigned museum has been divided into four themed zones, each showcasing a different aspect of play:

• Dolls & Bears – including Georgian and Victorian dolls, national dolls collected from around the world, fashion dolls from paper cut-outs to Barbie, and family favourites such as Jimmy the Steiff bear (c.1907) and ‘Edward’, a century-old bear gifted by a staff member.
• Games & Pastimes – exploring traditional games from Victorian spillikins and Floral Lotto to 20th-century classics such as Subbuteo (originating in nearby Tunbridge Wells) and contemporary Pokémon trading cards.
• Building Blocks – highlighting construction toys, toy farms, clockwork vehicles and models from Airfix kits to steam tractors, while tracing how invention and materials evolved over time.
• World of Imagination – celebrating books, film and theatre, from Pollock’s juvenile theatres and Beatrix Potter to animation, nursery rhymes and a hands-on Phenakistoscope interactive.

The Games & Pastimes zone also explores Penshurst Place’s long association with cricket. The estate was home to the first cricket ball manufacturer, with the original Dukes cricket ball factory located on land owned by Penshurst Place Estate from 1760. In 1970, Gray-Nicholls, the acclaimed cricket bat maker, purchased and ran the Wisden and Dukes cricket ball factory at Penshurst until 1990. The estate continues to grow willow today for the world-renowned cricket bats made by Gray-Nicholls.

As well as family treasures, the museum houses toys from Yootha Rose, the renowned Kent-born stage designer and royal toymaker, whose private collection is housed at the museum.

Conservation and community

Many of the toys underwent specialist conservation by Brighton-based Zenzie Tinker Conservation, revealing new details and breathing fresh life into the collection. The Georgian doll ‘Moggie’, for example, was discovered to have 18th-century linen stays and hand-stitched undergarments, while the restoration of the Victorian paper Peep Show uncovered vibrant original colouring and inscriptions long obscured by dust, bringing its depiction of Notre Dame Cathedral to life.

Dr The Hon Philip Sidney, heir to Penshurst Place, commented:
“As a family home, sharing these collections with the public has always been important to us. The Toy Museum celebrates the enduring importance of toys and play across the generations, and it’s wonderful to see my childhood teddy, Soldier Ted, alongside other treasured family toys displayed so beautifully in the reimagined exhibition. We’re delighted to share our family memories with visitors, and we hope that our cherished toys, along with the other items in this magical collection, will bring as much pleasure to our visitors and their families as they have to us.”

Ben Thomas, General Manager at Penshurst Place, added:
“This project ensures that the Toy Museum remains a valued resource for our community and a highlight for visitors of all ages, thanks to the generous support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Toys have an extraordinary ability to spark memories and connect generations, and the reimagined museum does exactly that.”

Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re proud to support the revitalisation of The Toy Museum – a much-loved collection that brings generations together. This project not only preserves a wonderful heritage toy collection for future generations, but also offers new opportunities for learning, creativity and connection for families, schools and communities across Kent and the southeast.”

 Visitor information

The Toy Museum is open daily from 11.30am to 3.30pm until 2nd November, and entry is included within a standard Gardens & Grounds ticket at Penshurst Place.

The wider Penshurst Place estate also features the awe-inspiring medieval Baron’s Hall, a series of historic staterooms, 11 acres of Grade I listed walled gardens, and popular family attractions including an adventure playground and woodland trail. For more information visit https://www.penshurstplace.com.

ENDS