Cambridge Museum of Technology volunteers presented research at The International Committee for Conservation of Industrial Heritage 2025 conference in Kiruna, Sweden (25-30 August 2025).
Day 1 Morning symposium and Afternoon Industrial Showcase on Energy Resilience and Scaling Clean Tech. Key note Speaker Sir Vince Cable
Day 2 Public Engagement Day with family friendly activities.
New! Guided Heritage Walks: Discover Cambridge’s industrial past.
In collaboration with Cambridge Industrial Archaeology Group, Cambridge Museum of Technology is proud to present a series of walking tours led by expert guides.
Discover Cambridge’s industrial history hiding in plain sight all around us. Access to the Museum is included in the price of each walk. Walks will start at 10:30 and reach the Museum at approximately 12 noon.
River Walk Jesus Green to Riverside
The banks of the river Cam were once teeming with industries and the river itself was an important trading route. From brewers to scientific instrument makers, from boat builders to the gas works, they could all be found along the river. Small ferries once carried passengers, vehicles and animals across the water but were replaced by bridges as Cambridge grew. If you know where to look, there are still traces to be seen and stories to be told of the industries and the workers of the past.
The tour will begin at Jesus Lock and end at Cambridge Museum of Technology, home of Cambridge’s industrial heritage, where you will be able to explore the displays.
Prospective Dates: Friday 27th June, Friday 18th July, Friday 22nd August, Friday 19th September 2025.
Energy Walks: Cambridge Gasworks
Explore the former Cambridge gasworks (off Newmarket Road) and its impact on local society, economy and the environment. Featuring documentary sources (such as maps, photographs, company records and eyewitness reports), the tour will: explore the sights (and smells) of the former Cambridge gasworks, its operations, stories of its workers, evaluate its environmental impact, and invite participants to assess its legacy: past, present and future.
This tour will begin at the Cheddars Lane (upper) gate of Cambridge Museum of Technology (on a step-free route around Cheddars Lane, Newmarket Road, River Lane and Riverside) will visit archaeological remains from what was the largest industrial complex in Cambridge: the University and Town Gas-Light Company. The tour will end at Cambridge Museum of Technology, home of Cambridge’s industrial heritage, where you will be able to explore the displays
Prospective Dates: Sunday 15th June, Friday 25th July, Saturday 9th August, Friday 5th September 2025.
Group size is limited (to maximum of 16) and tickets must be purchased in advance, either via the Museum’s Events Calendar or by contacting the Museum directly.
For all of the above walks
£16pp
Access to the Museum is included in your ticket (please bring copy of your receipt).
Group size limited: tickets must be purchased in advance (online or from museum)
Suitable for ages 11+.
All-weather (come suitably prepared!)
Please aim to arrive at least 5 minutes before the start time of the walk, which will depart promptly!
Flying into the Future Drone Workshop
In Partnership with
Pye Building, Cambridge Museum of Technology
30th March 2pm-4pm
Free to attend
Cambridge Museum of Technology, The Old Pumping Station, Cheddars Lane 01223 398650, CB5 8LD
Drones are now part of everyday life. Used to survey and map areas, generate quiet and safe ‘firework’ displays, deliver post, and provide the action shots we love to see on screen. Here at the Museum of Technology we even use drones to check that our rooves and chimney are in tip top condition.
In this workshop you’ll be able to learn all about drones and there uses, talk to people who use drones as part of their day to day lives and jobs, and watch drone pilots use their skill to fly their drones around the Museum site. There will also be the opportunity to build your own non-flying drone air frame that you can take home and upgrade with parts to make it fully functional, or simply use as an interesting hanging decoration.
This event is in association with the Cambridge branch of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers – imeche.org'
Reach for the sky | Cambridge Festival
Booking not essential but is encouraged to give us an idea of numbers:
This event is free entry, but normal entry charges apply to the rest of the museum, bar and food on site through our hospitality partners .
Cambridge Museum of Technology: Evaluation Consultant
Consultant Brief for Evaluation Consultant
Type of contract: Consultancy / Self Employed
Remuneration: Up to £5,000 (excl VAT) inclusive of travel and other incidental expenses, paid periodically by arrangement.
Location: Cambridge Museum of Technology, The Old Pumping Station, Cheddars Lane, Cambridge CB5 8LD.
Background
Cambridge Museum of Technology is the home of our industrial heritage. Based in the city’s historic sewage pumping station, the Museum helps people to explore, enjoy, and learn about their industrial heritage by celebrating the achievements of local industries and the people who worked in them.
Visible from all corners of Cambridge, the original chimney at the Museum stands tall as a reminder of our industrial past, and a landmark beacon of our relevance today. The Museum occupies a key Riverside site and has huge potential to grow as a community hub, leisure facility and educational centre. The Victorian sewage pumping station is a scheduled monument on Historic England’s At-Risk Register, and some of our (working) technologies on display are the last of their kind. Visitors to our museum can expect to learn the story of sewage and waste disposal in the Victorian Pumping Station, as well as discover Cambridge’s fascinating but forgotten industries. The important Pye collection displays Cambridge’s impressive early high-tech companies.
Full Steam Ahead
Supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the ‘Full Steam Ahead’ project recruited three new heritage roles, to expand the Museum’s capacity for both general opening, and for increased education and community outreach work.
The Museum will be able to expand its schools programme, reaching more young people and engaging with teachers to form lasting links. To facilitate this expanding engagement, there will be new opportunities to support and train community and education volunteers to help the Museum deliver this exciting programme. Digital education and family resources will also be developed alongside this new activity, to ensure the significant collections remain widely accessible for all.
The funding will also reinvigorate existing space in the Engineer’s House to be used as a space for community hires. Building on fantastic partnerships within the local Abbey community, the Museum will offer more opportunities for engaging with industrial heritage and our collection, through events and workshops.
Evaluation Consultant Brief
We are seeking to appoint an experienced evaluation consultant to establish an evaluation framework (in 2025/26). The consultant must demonstrate experience of evaluating similar projects, from initial benchmarking through to the production of a final evaluation report that will be submitted to the NLHF, following an agreement of a draft by the Museum Enterprise Manager and Board of Trustees.
We intend to appoint in February/March 2025 and anticipate that the work will take place throughout the life of the project which is currently due to end December 2026. The exact timescale and approach to be agreed as part of the appointment process
The consultant will produce a 12-month evaluation report (June 2025), 18-month evaluation report and evaluate our project (in 2026), and provide support/advice to the project team, as required.
Evaluation planning and delivery will be in keeping with:
• NLHF best practice (Evaluation good practice guidance | The National Lottery Heritage Fund)
• Our delivery stage evaluation, which aligns our work with the NLHF ten-year strategy
• Our project outcomes
Application will be based upon expressions of interest and interview.
Location and Timings
We anticipate some of this work will take place on site, however, some contact can be remote via Teams/telephone as appropriate. Due to the nature of working with volunteers, please note that it may be necessary from time to time to engage in the evening and weekends when availability is most likely.
Remuneration for the Contract
The total fee will be up to £5,000 excl VAT. Payment will be paid in instalments to be agreed upon appointment. (Our suggestion would be 25% upon appointment, 50% on delivery on first draft of the interim and final report, and 25% on completion).
The Evaluation Consultant will be registered self-employed/employed by their consultancy company and responsible for their own National Insurance and Tax payments as required by HMRC.
Appointment Process and Timescale
We intend to appoint in February/March 2025 and anticipate that the work will take place throughout the life of the project which is currently due to end December 2026. The exact timescale and approach to be agreed as part of the appointment process Application will be based upon expressions of interest and interview.
The expression of interest should include:
A statement of the strengths and evidence of relevant experience that you will bring to the project
Examples of similar projects completed since 2012 and their relevance to this contract. We would also like to see examples of similar reports produced by the consultants at the interview.
Your proposed methodology
Your proposed timetable for carrying out the work
A breakdown of your budget/costings which must include all costs and travel and subsistence and VAT if charged.
Time allocation and day rates
If working as part of a team, the details of the lead consultant, who will remain available as the main point of contact throughout the project. Details of who will carry out the work, their background and experience
Expressions of interest should be submitted via email to Lindsey.Bavin@Museumoftechnology.com in a format of the consultant’s choice. Emails should contain the title Evaluation Consultant.
Submissions must be received by 5pm on 13th February 2025.