The world's largest collection of artefacts relating to the history of the gas industry is an unexpected delight. The collection covers over two centuries of gas technology: the equipment that lit Victorian streets, the appliances that transformed domestic cooking, and the industrial machinery of the gas works era. It is housed in the old Leicester Gas Works buildings, which are atmospheric in themselves.
This is unambiguously a niche museum, but it does its job well. The collection of vintage gas cookers, fires, and lighting equipment tells a story of how domestic life changed between the 1850s and the 1960s. Admission is modest and the museum tends to be very uncrowded. Worth an hour if you have time after the bigger attractions.