Stourbridge Glass Museum director warns in open letter that UK glass heritage faces irreversible loss without targeted intervention.
The director of the Stourbridge Glass Museum has called for a cross-sector strategy to protect the UK’s glass heritage, warning in an open letter that the sector is facing a crisis.
Alexander Goodger, director of the museum, cited recent and forthcoming closures, including the closure of Bristol Blue Glass in May 2026 after 38 years and the National Glass Centre in Sunderland, which is scheduled to close on 31 July 2026 and face demolition in August.
In the letter, addressed to the museums and heritage sector, Goodger said the financial model for glass museums and craft institutions had been weakened. He pointed to energy costs, stating that the Stourbridge Glass Museum’s gas bills rose from £2,000 to over £10,000 per month during the recent energy crisis, and that the museum used much of its unrestricted reserves to survive that period. The museum opened in 2022.
According to the letter, the World of Glass in St Helens is facing a deficit and has launched a public appeal following the withdrawal of council backing, while the Red House Glass Cone runs its museum at a deficit and ceased glassmaking five years ago due to costs. Goodger said the National Glass Centre had managed annual energy bills of approximately £500,000 for what he described as an inefficient building.
Goodger cited the University of Sunderland in stating that the National Glass Centre site faces an annual funding gap of £800,000.
The letter warns of three consequences if major glass museums close: the loss of collections to storage or private sale, the loss of specialist skills, and the loss of a craft connection stretching back over a thousand years. Goodger said glass heritage could be “completely wiped out within five years” without intervention.
The letter sets out four calls to action: targeted financial support from trusts, foundations and sector support bodies; investment backed by local and central government; advocacy by sector bodies including the Association of Independent Museums, Art Fund and the Museums Association for free net-zero audits and funding to implement them; and increased media coverage of the issue.
Goodger said the Stourbridge Glass Museum had stabilised its finances through the creation of what he described as the world’s first net-zero glass studio, powered by solar panels and featuring eco-radiators and air-source heating. He said the museum’s Greener Glass project won Sustainable Project of the Year at the Museums + Heritage Awards.
