A SOUTHAMPTON museum is marking its 125th anniversary and is hosting a wide range of events to celebrate its history. 

The Brickworks Museum, in the Bursledon area of Southampton, was founded in 1897. 

This summer, the museum will host events and activities to honour the brick workers and commemorate the factory's history.

Daily Echo:

Artist Emma Smith will exhibit her commissioned artwork at the museum next month as part of Arts and Heritage's National Project.

On Tuesday, 31 May, a private viewing of her artwork Coralent will take place, followed by public viewing on Saturday, June 11.

Emma's artwork is a tribute to bricklayers across England, and she will be touring the country with her exhibition.

Museum Director, Carolyne Haynes, told the Daily Echo: "We have a lot of exciting events planned across the year. 

"Around 12 artists submitted their work, and out of them, we chose Emma's work because it is just brilliant. 

"We want the visitors to know how special and interesting this place is, and there is nothing like this left in the UK." 

Daily Echo:

While the factory used to specialise in making bricks, it is also the last remaining Victorian steam-powered brickworks in the country.

On Sunday, July 10 the museum is inviting people to their Steam Event, where the staff will steam up the working machines. 

Seeing and hearing the old machinery in action is one of the highlights of a visit.

The museum is completely independent and is run with the help of part-time staff and volunteers. The volunteers carry out most of the restoration work and help to man the site when the museum is open.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.

Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.

You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.

Don't take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself.

Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents

Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News