The Powell-Cotton Museum at Quex House
A house and museum reflective of the diverse interests of John Powell Powell and his family.
Quex Park, Birchington, Kent, CT7 0BH

Facilities
- Easily accessible without car
- Accessible toilets
- Access statement available
- Accessible parking
for the latest information.
Quex House was built in 1812, and many of the passions and interests of its builder John Powell Powell can still be seen today, including a collection of Napoleonic memorabilia, a collection of naval canon and the distinctive boat-shaped curve to two of the publicly accessible rooms.
In its lifetime, the house has been extensively remodelled, with the current layout largely reflecting the life of Percy Powell-Cotton and his family, who lived in the house in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Percy is perhaps best known as the founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum and an explorer, and his travels and enthusiasm for collecting spilled into his house. Many exotic influences can be found in the Oriental Drawing Room, for example.
Today the house is run by a Charitable Trust, but continues to reflect the eclectic style and homely feel of the Powell-Cotton family.
The Powell-Cotton Museum is currently closed for ‘reimagining’.
This house is not part of the Free for Members scheme, but is one of many houses on our website that we support to promote their tours, weddings, filming and other commercial offerings. To see all the places you can visit as a Historic Houses member, please visit our ‘Free for Members’ listings page here. Or to find out more about how the membership scheme works and how it supports our work to protect independent heritage, visit our page here.
The Powell-Cotton Museum is currently closed for ‘reimagining’.
The Powell-Cotton Museum is currently closed for ‘reimagining’.
- Accessible toilets
- Access statement available
- Accessible parking
for the latest information.
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