Gawthorpe Hall exhibition celebrating Miss Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth

An exhibition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of The Honourable Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth MBE, will go on display in Burnley later this month.

The exhibition, entitled The Gawthorpe's Great Lady Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth 1886-1967, will be at Gawthorpe Hall from Thursday 20 April until Sunday 5 November.

The display will showcase some of the items from Rachel's prestigious textiles collection, as well as highlighting some lesser-known aspects of her life, including photographs and personal objects that have rarely been on public display before. The exhibition will also show what it would have been like growing up at the 'Downton of the North', and feature Rachel's many social and charitable activities.

Julie Bell, Lancashire County Council's head of libraries, museums, culture and registrar's service, said: "Anyone interested in either Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth herself or her legacy, including her fabulous textiles collection, will find this really interesting.

"Rachel's achievements are remarkable. She was a founder member of the Girl Guide Movement, and also started maternity centres working with the House of Help for unmarried mothers in Burnley. Probably her most well-known accomplishment though is her world-famous textile collection, and her dream of using this collection, with Gawthorpe Hall as the centre, where crafts of all types could be studied."

Entrance to the exhibition is included in the normal admission price to Gawthorpe Hall which is £4 for adults and £3 for concessions. National Trust members and children go free.

Normal opening times are 12pm to 5pm Wednesdays to Sundays, with last entry to the hall at 4.30pm. The museum is open on Bank Holidays.

To find out more about Gawthorpe Hall and other Lancashire County Council museums visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/museums