A new museum celebrating Street's iconic shoemaking heritage is set to open by 2025, with plans well underway to transform The Grange, a Grade II listed building, into a major visitor attraction.

The Shoemakers Museum will tell the story of C & J Clark, the globally renowned shoe company founded in the village, and its influence on the local area. The project became possible after the Alfred Gillett Trust acquired the heritage collections of C & J Clark in 2021, ensuring the historic items were preserved for public display.

A significant donation from Nathan Clark's estate, the great-grandson of co-founder James Clark, along with support from charitable trusts, has helped drive the development forward.

What visitors can expect

The museum will offer a comprehensive look into both shoemaking and the history of Street. Award-winning architects Purcell have been enlisted to renovate The Grange, while landscape architects Studio Loci will design the surrounding gardens. Nissen Richards Studio will curate the exhibitions, with project management by Currie and Brown.

The visitor experience will feature three key exhibitions:

• Welcome to Street: Highlighting the village's history of innovation, education, and social movements, including its ties to suffrage and abolitionism.
• Making Shoes: Exploring the craft of shoemaking from early outworkers to modern mass production, with interactive elements like design stations and dexterity boxes once used for factory training.
• Buying and Selling: Recreated Clarks shops from different eras will tell the story of shoe retail, marketing, and global expansion, with a dress-up area and stories from Clarks communities worldwide.

A café, shop, and educational space will also be part of the visitor offering, making the museum a hub for both locals and tourists.

Fossils and local geology

The museum will also highlight Street's famous geological history. The Alfred Gillett Trust holds a significant collection of marine reptile fossils, including rare ichthyosaurs and a plesiosaur, which will remain on display in The Barn at The Grange.

Community involvement and progress

Planning permission has been granted, and work is already underway. The Trust has been actively involving the local community through focus groups, ensuring the stories and exhibits reflect Street's rich cultural history.

With the Shoemakers Museum set to open its doors later this year, it promises to become a major attraction celebrating both Clarks' shoemaking legacy and the village's unique heritage.