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Welcome to the Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House and Gardens
Famous for our natural history dioramas, featuring animals from tiny tortoises to enormous elephants, you’ll be amazed at what we have on display. Find us in Birchington, just a stone’s throw from the popular seaside town of Margate.
Our main season begins on Saturday 15th February with regular open days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 31st October. Check our What’s On page for the latest events and activities. We can’t wait to welcome you!
Plan your visitFind Out More
This is an exciting time for the Museum, Quex House and Gardens and we’ve got a lot to share with you. From restoration projects to new learning content and initiatives, follow the links to connect with us.
Everything is happening, all at once, and all of the time!
Our Head of Collections Madylene Beardmore reflects on her first year at the Powell-Cotton Museum for the March/April issue of Museum Journal.
Our roof replacement Part 6
The enabling works for phase 2 of our roof replacement project are now underway. Here's what you can expect...
Discover our collections
Explore the map to discover just some of the objects in our collection and where they are from.
Do you have a passion for plants, nature and sharing skills with others?
We’re on the lookout for an Assistant Gardener to help care for, develop and enhance our historic gardens.
In this role, you`ll be involved in a range of practical horticultural tasks to develop, enhance and conserve the garden, contributing to the long-term garden development plan including design, restoration and promotion. You`ll also play a key part in ensuring that Quex Gardens are maintained to a high standard.
Working together with your colleagues, you will help create and run training sessions and activities for volunteers in the garden providing a diverse group of people with opportunities to learn new skills and take part in garden activities.
Deadline to apply: Sunday 1st June 2025
More details on the role and how to apply at the link in our bio 🔗
#GardeningJobs #MuseumJobs #KentJobs #Horticulture #QuexGardens #JobOpportunity #GardenLife #CommunityGardens
Come and celebrate the height of summer with a restorative day of well-being on Sunday, June 29, in the stunning natural surroundings of Quex Gardens.
This special day invites you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and honour the season with nourishing practices for body and soul.
The day will start at 11 am with tea and coffee, and includes:
- A gentle Yoga and meditation class on the lawn with Ramsgate-based teacher @elise.anna.carter.
- A delicious garden-to-table lunch prepared by the chefs from local green Michelin star restaurant @angelas_of_margate – made with fresh produce harvested from our Victorian Walled Garden.
- A private tour of the gardens led by our Head Gardener Sue Harris, and a chance to explore 8 acres of woodland.
- A deeply calming sound bath around the fire pit with holistic practitioner @eleanor.yankah of @floating.frequencies
Tickets for the day are on sale now priced at £93.88 (including booking fee and taxes)
Spaces for this event are limited to keep the experience intimate, so we recommend booking early for the chance to join us!
🎟 Visit our website via the link in our profile to book
#summerwellbeing #quexgardens #kentretreat #soundbath #yogaretreat #margateevents # #mindfulmoments
New in the gift shop - our kids’ gardening gifts are fun, practical and full of colour!
Think mini tool belts, gloves, seed pots to grow vegetables and summer flowers, and bird feeder balls. They`re a great way to get little ones outdoors and learning about nature. 💚🪴🌼
#PowellCottonMuseum #QuexGardens #Gardening #LittleGardeners #KidsInTheGarden #NaturePlay
It`s Mental Health Awareness Week so we`re celebrating the joy and purpose found in shared spaces like Quex Gardens. 🌿💚
Here at the Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House and Gardens, we’re proud to offer a safe, inclusive and accessible space where everyone can come together to connect with nature, history and each other.
Our Sunshine Project, which has been running since 2020, is a warm and welcoming space for adults experiencing mental health challenges, social isolation, or living with mild physical or learning disabilities.
Every week, we gather in the Gardens to take part in meaningful activities like gardening, upcycling and site maintenance. Our most recent project involved sorting and cleaning thousands of reclaimed tiles, laid by hand, to create a new garden patio outside our Winter Gardens.
Our lovely patio is now finished, and the beautiful recycled tiles not only celebrate the garden’s rich history, but also help create something fresh and new for everyone to enjoy!
Swipe through the photos to see the group in action, the stunning results, and even a surprise appearance from Pinfold the peacock, our unofficial supervisor.
To everyone who’s found peace, purpose or friendship in Quex Gardens, thank you for helping us grow something truly special.
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #QuexGardens #SunshineProject #ThisIsMyCommunity #InclusiveSpaces #PositiveMentalHealth #GardeningForWellbeing
Spring is here in Quex Gardens! Come and visit us this bank holiday weekend for a full sensory experience of the sights, sounds and scents of May!
#QuexGardens #QuexInBloom #Spring #Wisteria #Bluebells #WalledGardens
Our woodland paths are bursting with bluebells right now!
Come enjoy a peaceful walk through Quex Gardens this weekend and soak up the view while they last. The weather forecast is looking glorious too - perfect for a nature escape close to home!
Don’t forget your camera!
#QuexGardens #BluebellSeason #BluebellWalks #SpringWalks #NatureLovers #KentDaysOut
Come for the natural history, stay for the feathers 🦚
Our resident peacock Pinfold is strutting into spring with a full fan of fabulous feathers!
Come and meet our marvellous peacock, explore the museum and gardens and enjoy a day out filled with nature and history this Easter.
We`re open Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, 11am-4pm.
#SpringExplorers #NaturalHistory #QuexHouse #QuexGardens #PowellCottonMuseum #MuseumGardens #VisitKent #VisitThanet #EasterWeekend
Happy Mother`s Day🌷Our gardens are really rising to the occasion and putting on a stunning spring floral display.
Why not treat mum to a stroll around around our enchanting woodland walk and walled garden to see how many different flowers you can spot.
#mothersday #quexgardens #tulips #summersnowflake #hyacinth #wildprimrose #nemesia #appleblossom #blossomwatch
Gorgeous blossoms are blooming in the gardens.
With the season only lasting a few weeks, now is the best time to take a blossom break and enjoy this stunning annual show!
The museum, house and gardens are open from 11am - 4pm.
#QuexGardens #BlossomWatch #SpringInBloom #GardenVisit #WoodlandWalk
Our garden fountain statues Hippomenes and Atalanta gleaming in the sunshine after their spring clean.
The two mythical Greek lovers will take centre stage in our Folktales of the Garden guided tours this weekend.
If you’re interested in hearing their captivating story and more myths and legends from Quex Gardens, join us at 11:30am or 2:30pm this Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Big thanks to our garden maintenance officer Mark who did a tremendous job of jet washing away their winter dullness.
Swipe to see the before pics!
#quexgardens #kentgardens #gardenlore #greekculture #gardenphotography
Chitting away in our Break Room
From outside, it`s truly lovely to see our chimneys puffing up smoky clouds as we approach the building—a welcoming sign of warmth, as we escape from the cold nip in the air and wheel over the threshold, we`re greeted by a waft of warmth from our break room, the smell of charred wood and the molten glow of the fire making the space even more inviting.
One of our Sunshine participants enjoys the tactile experience of touching the textured potato skins and root growths, smiling and making sounds of delight whilst chitting our Ratte potatoes. Instead of planting our potatoes immediately, we chit them to establish strong roots before they go into the ground, ensuring a healthy and robust crop.
Ratte potatoes also known as Ratte de Crémieu potatoes, have a distinctive nutty flavour, were first cultivated in the late 19th century in France, quickly gaining popularity for their superior taste and texture compared to other local varieties.
Your support is invaluable to us at the Sunshine project, funded by AIM Connected Communities Grant by the DCMS Know Your Neighbourhood Fund through Arts Council England.
A heartfelt thank you to Association of Independent Museums Department for Culture, Media and Sport Arts Council England Council England, @SunshineProjectSunday, our wonderful participants, the public, and @QuexGardens for helping us continue serving our community.
Let’s keep celebrating the beauty of community together!
#SunshineProjectSunday #SenseCharity #RattePotatoes #GardenSenses #CommunityCare #VegPlot #SoilToSupper #FarmToTable #WoodburningStove #HistoricalVictorian #EdwardianGarden #WalledGardens
#QuexGardens #QuexHouse
#VisitKent #Kcc_Kent #PowellCottonMuseum
From Sunshine, to Soil, to Soup…
Freshly picked from our Walled Garden that very morning—except for the pumpkin, harvested last year—the ingredients for our soup couldn’t have been fresher... Carrots, leeks, pumpkin, thyme, bay leaves, and a few spices came together to create a heart-warming dish.
With the support of two KCC staff from Minnis Hub, our Sunshine participants prepared a delicious soup on the Winter Garden’s wood-burning stove. The delightful aroma filled the air, warmly welcoming us in from the gardens. It was a well-deserved treat, enjoyed by all at the Sunshine Project, bringing our community together.
Adding a special touch to the ingredients were our peanut pumpkins, an old French variety "Galeux d`Eysines," added their own magic. One pumpkin, weighing just under 2 stone (13kg), delivered rich, sweet flavours reminiscent of sweet potatoes and apples. Last year, we had grown one that was more than double that size!
Another ingredient was our Lyon Prizetaker leeks, a UK variety celebrated for its rich flavour and tender texture, making it a staple in home cooking.
Did you know that leeks were enjoyed by the Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, and it was possibly the Romans, who introduced them to Wales?
Always learning skills and unique trivia from our gardeners and community at Quex Gardens, your support is invaluable to us at the Sunshine project. Funded by AIM Connected Communities Grant by the DCMS Know Your Neighbourhood Fund through Arts Council England.
A heartfelt thank you to @Association of Independent Museums @Department for Culture, @Media and Sport Arts Council England, @SunshineProjectSunday, our wonderful participants, the public, and @QuexGardens for helping us continue serving our community.
Let’s keep celebrating the beauty of community together!
#SunshineProjectSunday #CommunityCare #SoilToSupper #CommunityCooking #FarmToTable #LyonLeeks #PeanutPumpkin #GaleuxDEysines #VegPlot
#CharlottePotatoes #WoodburningStove #WoodburningStoveCooking #WinterGardenGlassHouse #HistoricalVictorian #EdwardianGarden #WalledGardens
#QuexGardens #QuexHouse
#VisitKent #Kcc_Kent #PowellCottonMuseum
