What are the opening hours?

Monday 9:30am - 5pm Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm Thursday 9:30am - 5pm Friday 9:30am - 5pm Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

Home
United Kingdom
Morpeth
Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

The building is a rare surviving example of a bridge chapel, where blessings would be given to the passing traveller in exchange for a small fee.

Visit the very first bagpipe museum in the UK, a major part of the county’s musical landscape

A stunning 13th Century Grade 1 listed building, Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum boasts a treasure trove of instruments for your enjoyment. Morpeth Chantry was founded in the 1300s by Richard of Morpeth as a place for prayers to be said in memory of his parents and his benefactor the Lord of Morpeth John

of Greystoke. Through the centuries the Chantry has had a multitude of uses - as the town grammar school from the 1550s to 1846, as council offices and concert venue in Victorian times, and as a mineral water factory in the 20th century. The Chantry was restored to be used as a museum and craft centre in the 1980s.

• 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 C***s
• Move and play Cantaria – a special light and sound feature

The pipes collection belongs to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne. Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum is managed by Museums Northumberland, the public brand of Woodhorn Charitable Trust | Registered as a company in England and Wales under registration number 6893854 | Woodhorn Charitable Trust is registered as a charity number 1129712

15/04/2026

It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying Northumberland’s rich traditions during last weekend’s Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering.

Here are a few highlights from the 'Meet the Northumbrian Pipers' session, which took place here at the Bagpipe Museum 🎶

10/03/2026

🎶 Happy International Bagpipe Day! 🎶

Today we’re celebrating the remarkable sound and story of bagpipes around the world. As the first bagpipe museum in the UK, the Morpeth Bagpipe Museum is proud to share the rich piping heritage of Northumberland and beyond.

even received a mention on BBC Radio 2 this morning on Vernon Kay’s show, bringing the story of the pipes to listeners across the country.

If you’d like to explore the history of the pipes even further, we recommend The Bagpipes: A Cultural History by Richard McLauchlan - a fascinating look at how bagpipes have evolved over time, from the rise of women pipers to questions of class, privilege and identity in the piping world.

📖 We’ve popped a link to the book in the comments below.

North East Museums

17/12/2025

🎄 Christmas & New Year Opening Times 🎄

Please note our opening times over the festive period:

🗓 Sunday 21 December
⏰ 10.30am – 4pm (special Sunday opening)

🗓 Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24 December
⏰ 10.30am – 4pm

🚫 Closed:
• 25 & 26 December
• 1 January

All other days during the festive period are open as usual (Monday - Saturday, 9.30am - 5pm).

We wish all our visitors a very Merry Christmas and look forward to welcoming you. 🎶✨

15/12/2025

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming Heritage Minister Fiona Twycross (Baroness Twycross) and North Northumberland MP David Smith to Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum.

We talked about the work of North East Museums and the importance of living cultural heritage in building sense of place and creating opportunities for communities.

It was also great to be joined by President of the Northumbrian Pipers Society (and former North East Museums Chair), Baroness Joyce Quin and treated to a performance by pipers from the Society.

Louise (Robson's Choice Pipers) and Lynn (Northumbrian Pipers' Society) have even been featured in Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Living Heritage Nominations video. See if you can spot them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk22uq1A3no

Northumberland County Council

15/09/2025

We’re looking forward to Heritage Open Days 2025 at the Morpeth Bagpipe Museum this Saturday, 20 September - a day of poetry, music, and history.

✨ 11am–12pm – Building Bridges with the Morpeth Poets
Local history brought to life through words, performance, and costume.

🎶 2pm–4.30pm – Northumbrian Pipers’ Society Gathering
Hear the unique sound of Northumberland’s musical tradition.

📍 Morpeth Bagpipe Museum
🕚 11am–4.30pm | Free | Drop in anytime

01/09/2025

Celebrate Heritage Open Days 2025 at the Morpeth Bagpipe Museum with a special day of poetry, music, and history on Saturday 20 September.

In the morning, the Morpeth Poets present Building Bridges (11am–12pm), bringing local history to life through words, performance, and costume. In the afternoon, enjoy the unique sound of Northumberland’s own musical tradition at the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society Gathering (2pm–4.30pm), where musicians will be playing traditional tunes throughout the session. Drop in, listen, and enjoy.

Saturday 20 September, 11am – 4.30pm | Drop-in | Free

20/06/2025

Discover Northumberland’s signature sound – the Northumbrian small pipes.

Hear the iconic sound of the Northumbrian small pipes and discover piping traditions from across the world.

Our display is made up of the William Alfred C***s bagpipe collection, over 120 sets of pipes from across Europe and beyond – from Inverness to India!

The museum is open 9.30am - 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Admission is FREE.

There is a lift in the Chantry to take you to the first floor, where you will find the museum.

North East Museums Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (SANT) Northumberland County Council Visit Northumberland

10/06/2025

Did you know that most of the exhibits on display at Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum are from the collection of William Alfred C***s (1892-1971).

He collected anything and everything to do with bagpipes. As well as bagpipes, he amassed a collection of music books and original manuscripts, photographs and scrapbooks etc.

The museum is managed by North East Museums on behalf of Northumberland County Council and the collection is owned by Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (SANT)

06/06/2025

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum is a must for music lovers. 🎼❤️

🎶Discover a unique piece of Northumberland’s heritage: the Northumbrian small pipes.

🎶Browse the displays of pipes and panels to learn how the local small pipes differ from the famous Highland war pipes.

🎶See William Alfred C***s’ collection of bagpipes, including ivory small pipes belonging to Robert Bewick (son of Tyneside engraver Thomas Bewick), a miniature set made for Queen Mary’s dolls’ house, a set of pipes from the Jacobite Rising and richly decorated French pipes from the court of French King Louis XIV.

There is often live music performances in the museum. The St Oswald's Piping Group play on the 2nd & 4th Saturday morning of each month.

The Chantry building is open 9.30am - 5pm Monday to Saturday and admission is free.

North East Museums Visit Northumberland Northumberland County Council

13/05/2025

Don't forget about the Small Pipes Big History event at Northumbria University tomorrow evening (Wednesday 14 May) between 6pm and 8pm.

A musical celebration of the North East’s rich heritage. The event will include:

A talk by local piper and historian Richard Heard on the enduring tradition of small piping in North Shields, as well as live musical performances by acclaimed piper Andy May.

Dr Amélie Addison, Lecturer in Music at Northumbria University, will give a presentation about Gateshead-born composer and Master of the King’s Musick William Shield, and his connection to regional folk music.

Anne Moore, curator of the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum – which has recently joined North East Museums – will discuss the William Alfred C***s collection of bagpipes, housed in Morpeth.

Northumbria University’s Dr Rachael Durkin, Associate Professor of History and Music, will also discuss the Jeremy Montagu Collection of Global Musical Instruments, housed at Northumbria University.

It's free to attend and just come along.

Find out more here: https://museumsnorthumberland.org.uk/whats-on/small-pipes-big-history/

Address

The Chantry, Bridge Street
Morpeth
NE611PD

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 5pm
Thursday	9:30am - 5pm
Friday	9:30am - 5pm
Saturday	9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+441670624490

Website

https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/morpethbagpipemuseum, https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/about/social-media

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum:

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Museum
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your museum to be the top-listed Museum in Morpeth?