The museum houses an archaeological collection spanning over 300,000 years, including a wealth of artefacts from the Stone Age through to the Roman, Viking and Medieval periods. The established and respected Usher Gallery contains a wide-ranging collection of fine and decorative art, including paintings by Turner, Lowry and DeWint, works by contemporary artists such as Grayson Perry, and a fine display of 18th-century Derby porcelain on loan from the Charles Norman Collection.