St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery is an independent charity governed by the Lymington Museum Trust
Join the Friends (FoSB) and become a part of the St. Barbe success story

About St. Barbe Museum & Gallery 

Despite its history and importance Lymington did not have its own museum until relatively recently. With the founding of the Friends of Lymington Museum in 1988 that the ball was really set rolling.

1992 the Lymington Museum Trust was created.
1993 New Forest District Council acquired the old school building in New Street and agreed to lease a part of the building to the Trust.
1995 the Trust successfully applied for a Lottery grant.
1995 'Museum in a Room" and shop opened.
1998 Art Gallery opened.
2012 Visitor information centre staffed by St. Barbe volunteers opened.
Since then thanks to lots of hard work today we have:
  • A permanent museum displays telling the story of Lymington and and the New Forest Coastal area.
  • A growing photographic archive of the area.
  • A gallery with an exciting exhibition programmes from local social history to art exhibitions of national importance.
  • Community history projects bringing exhibitions into local communities.
  • An education programme for school children and others.
  • Programmes of adult events and family events.
  • Gallery Talks.

About the Friends of St. Barbe

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT Can you spare some time, skills or money? 
  • Simply by paying your membership subscription you will be helping everyone at St. Barbe to continue developing our local museum. Funds raised by the Friends are used to help the Trust in many ways. For example, purchasing new equipment, acquiring artefacts or art for the permanent collection, printing an exhibition catalogue and constructing museum exhibits.
Giving your organising skills
  • Could you help us to plan and run one of our social or fund-raising activities during the year? 
  • Would you like to help choose and organise the Friends annual programme of talks? 
  • If you are good at organising things, we need you.
Giving your time
  • The Friends raise money through various activities and we need pairs of hands to make these happen. 
  • Would you be willing to be a helper at one of our events?
  • Many members of the Friends are also volunteers helping in the Museum. For example, working in the shop, stewarding galleries, helping with research, hanging exhibitions and cataloguing collections.