Powell Cotton Museum

Who we are

The Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House and Gardens are a celebration of the life and work of Major Percy Powell-Cotton (1866 to 1940), his family and their ancestors.

During his lifetime, the Major undertook 28 expeditions, travelling extensively in Africa.  He visited Northern India and Tibet and undertook a world tour.  At every turn he maintained meticulous records in support of his desire to inform and educate.  Before his death, he established the Museum as a Trust, with the primary aim of educating the public.

The Charities Statement of Purpose/ Mission Statement is as follows

Education continues to be at the heart of our work today and as such the charitable objectives identified in the organisations constitution are to advance education for the benefit of the public by the means set out below. 

• the provision and maintenance of a museum in or near Birchington for exhibiting specimens of natural history and ethnography (particularly such specimens collected by Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton, Esq) and, if the trustees think fit, specimens of other sciences and of the fine and useful arts;
• the extension and enhancement, conservation, storage and maintenance of the collection of specimens belonging to the Museum;

• the promotion of education in subjects relevant to the specimens belonging to the Museum and the use of such specimens in research.

An inscription over the Museum’s original entrance encapsulates the Majors vision for the museum: 

“Held in trust for the benefit of students and the enjoyment of visitors”