Landscape With Trees

Explorer Tom The Harris in Preston is difficult to enter quietly: its grand classical building seems to expect a proper announcement, while the art and local stories inside are busy proving they belong to everyone. I gave the steps a respectful nod and went in to see what Preston had put behind that magnificent front. The museum, gallery and library opened in 1893 and have long been a civic landmark on Market Square. Its collections bring together art, archaeology, decorative objects and the material traces of local work and life. Textiles and clothing, including Horrockses designs made in Preston, connect the city's manufacturing past to colour and fashion. After a major restoration, the building reopened in 2025 with renewed galleries and spaces intended for people to read, meet and explore as well as admire. Go beyond the first striking room and let the different collections interrupt one another. A dress can lead to a factory story; a painting can lead to the question of who had access to art in the city. The Harris currently offers free public entry, with a changing programme of exhibitions and events. Check its own visiting details before coming to the Market Square, because individual rooms or activities may have different arrangements. The restored building is worth looking at as carefully as any object in its cases. My theory is that the statues on the front keep score of visitors who look up before reaching for their phones. I have no figures, but I hope they count me. Visit for one collection if you like; the pleasure is leaving with another one you had not expected to care about.