Random treasures of Cliffe Castle

Cliffe Castle Musuem in Keighley has to be my all-time favourite museum. It is crammed full of all sorts of quirky treasures, so many that it would take a lifetime to really see them all. Some of the rooms are furnished as they would have been when the house was a Victorian mansion, home to the Butterfield family. Then there is huge gallery full of stuffed birds, reptiles and animals, a relic of Victorian times that could and would not be replicated nowadays but that I find, nonetheless, absolutely fascinating. You can, for instance, get a close view of the exquisite markings of a barn owl's feathers, realise how large our naturalised brown hare is and see the delicate skeleton of a snake.

Then there are wonderful geology specimens: rocks and crystals with subtly gorgeous colours and intricate structures. Then still more human handiwork: paintings, ceramics, textiles, clothes, stained glass, tools... so much to marvel at. The displays range from the traditional glass cases to much more interactive, colourful and user-friendly exhibits, with many geared to young people. It's a real treasure-trove.

This colourful exhibit is a timeline, exquisitely embroidered as a collage/tapestry, with a rainbow display of related exhibits in the glass domes.

Nearby is this glassy-eyed creature. I forgot to note exactly what it is but I think it may be a coleocanth. Yikes!