VISITORS are being urged to make the most of a museum with Bronte links before it closes down next month.

The Telegraph & Argus revealed last week that a date had been set for the closure of Red House Museum in Gomersal, following a decision last month by Kirklees Council to close down two museums.

Now The Friends of Red House Museum group is urging people to make the most of the house and its award-winning gardens while they still can.

The Grade II-listed 17th century cloth merchant’s home was frequently visited by Charlotte Bronte and was featured in her novel, Shirley.

Jacqueline Ryder, chairman of the Friends of Red House, said: “This is a very sad time for the Friends. It is particularly disappointing that the council made this decision in the year we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Bronte’s birth. It is not only the end of the museum but also the Friends’ group. However, we are determined to go out on a high, with an extra special Christmas event.”

The Friends are working with staff at the museum to plan the Red House Christmas event which will take place on Sunday, December 11, from noon to 4pm.

The house will be dressed for a Victorian-style Christmas and there will be live music and festive refreshments.

The Friends group had appealed to the council to allow them to stay open until Christmas so they could host the traditional event one last time.

The authority’s museums and galleries budget is being cut by half from April next year, and plans were therefore drawn up to restructure the service.

As well as Red House Museum, Dewsbury Museum was also closed down in the cost-cutting move, and actually closed to the public on Sunday. The items from both the museums will be moved into storage while the council considers how items can be displayed in future.

The process for gathering expressions of interest to take over the running of the buildings will start soon, with an information pack going online before the end of the month. The Council confirmed it expects to make decisions on expressions of interest in the spring. But if nobody from the community is willing to take over the running of the buildings, they will be put up for sale on the open market. Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for resources said: “Nobody wants to close museums but we do need to react to these times of austerity and make savings.”