The History behind Yelverton Paperweight Centre

Mr Bernard Broughton, founder of the Yelverton Paperweight Centre.

St Tudy Post Office in Cornwall, where Bernard started to display his paperweight collection.

Following his retirement from a business career in London, Bernard Broughton retired to the village of St.Tudy, in Cornwall, where he became the local postmaster.

His interest in glass paperweights was sparked by the legacy of a rare French paperweight to his wife This led to a unique collection of hundreds of glass paperweights from the glassworks of Saint-Louis, Baccarat, Clichy, Whitefriars, Strathearn, Perthshire, Caithness, Webb Corbett, John Deacons and others, including weights of Bohemian, Murano, and Chinese origin. There is also a range of paperweights made by Paul Ysart, the internationally renowned glass artist.

Initially, Bernard's collection was private. However, as it grew, he was persuaded to put it on public exhibition. This eventually led to its re-location to Yelverton, in 1978, where he continued to increase the collection until his death in 1984.

Today, the Centre is well established and continues to display the Broughton Collection. It has featured in numerous newspaper articles and collectors’ magazines. It attracts visitors and serious collectors from far and wide, and continues to promote interest in the fascinating world of glass paperweights.