Museums in England(E-L) A highly idiosyncratic list of both public and
commercial places to visit, based on the exacting criteria of whatever
I think might be fun. There are, of course, thousands of museums big
and small throughout the UK. What's your favourite?
Located in a modern, purpose built building, the East Grinstead Museum tells the story of the East Grinstead area through a combination of static and hands-on displays. In addition, there is a special interactive area for younger visitors.
Old Market Yard,
Cantelupe Road East Grinstead,
West Sussex,
England,
RH19 3BJ
A museum of local history, covering Eastbourne, Beach Head, and the surrounding area. A special focus of the museum is looking at how the onset of the railroad age affected the town.
The Tower House,
2 Carlisle Road Eastbourne,
East Sussex,
England,
BN21 4JJ
One of the most popular family attractions in North Yorkshire is this award-winning look back in time at life during WWII. The Camp is 6 acres of displays covering life on the Home Front during WWII, as well as exhibits on Britain's 20th century military history.
Edenhouse Road,
Malton,
Yorkshire,
England,
YO17 6RT
At one end of the village green in Elstow is the old Moot Hall, a picturesque 15th century building of brick and timber which now houses a museum of 17th century life with a focus on the life and career of John Bunyan.
Elstow,
Bedford,
Bedfordshire,
England,
MK42 9XT
The Ely Museum tells the vivid story of Ely and the surrounding fenlands from the city's origins to the present. The museum is located in the core of Ely, just 150 yards from the cathedral.
The Old Gaol,
Market Street Ely,
Cambridgeshire,
England,
CB7 4LS
Eyam's small museum tells the story of the village and the plague which decimated its inhabitants in 1665.
Hawkhill Road,
Eyam,
Derbyshire,
England,
S32 5QP
A fascinating museum of costume through the ages, from the 16th century though the present day. If it has anything to do with the history of fashion, you will find it here! The Fashion Museum was founded by Doris Langley Moore, who donated her personal collection to the City of Bath in 1963. Originally known as the Museum of Costume, the Fashion Museum became the Fashion Museum in 2007, and is now three times its original size.
A fascinating museum in an unusual location! Felixstowe Museum is located in a building formerly used to deploy submarine mines in Felixstowe Harbour. The museum takes up 14 rooms of the submarine mining station on Landguard Point, which stands beside the historic fort used to protect the harbour entrance.
PO Box 50,
Hamilton Road Felixstowe,
Suffolk,
England,
IP11 7JG
Fincocks bills itself as the 'Living Museum of Music'. The Richard Burnett collection of historic keyboard instruments is set in the lovely surroundings of a beautiful Georgian manor house in the Kent countryside. There are over 70 keyboards on display, with the majority dating from the late 18th and early 19th century. Among the collection is a piano owned by Prince Albert.
Goudhurst,
Kent,
England,
TN17 1HH
One of the most popular attractions in Hastings, the Fisherman's Museum began life as the Fishermen’s Church of St Nicholas, but was converted for use as a museum in 1956. Within the doors of the old church is a wealth of enjoyable displays based around a preserved fishing lugger.
Rock-a-Nore Road,
Hastings,
East Sussex,
England,
TN34 3DW
One of Europe's great art museums. The imposing neoclassical Fitzwilliam Museum building was built in 1848 to house the art collections of Viscount Fitzwilliam, which he had bequeathed to Cambridge University.
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge,
Cambridgeshire,
England,
CB2 1RB
Working museum of the four generations of Page blacksmiths who operated the forge from 1811 until 1983. Garden is dedicated to the culture of such plants as would have been grown in the 19th century, and houses an unusual bee shelter.
High Street,
Much Hadham,
Hertfordshire,
England,
SG10 6BS
The first fort at Fort Paull was built in 1542 to protect the entrance to the River Humber. The current fort is the fourth to occupy the same site. It was built in 1862 and was in use until 1950. The fort occupies 10 acres on the north shore of the Humber. Contained within the 10 acre site are a multitude of hands-on exhibits that will give visitors an experience of over 450 years of military history here.
Battery Road,
Paull,
Yorkshire,
England,
HU12 8FP
The story of the development of modern medicine. See how medical treatment has changed over the centuries and how medicine has transformed our lives.
Charles Hastings Education Centre,
Worcester Royal Hospital Worcester,
Charles Hastings Way,
Worcestershire,
England,
WR5 1DD
18th century naturalist Rev Gilbert White can claim to be one of the pioneers of ecological study. He lived at The Wakes in the lovely Hampshire village of Selborne and it was here that he wrote the fabulously popular 'Natural History of Selborne'. The Wakes has been restored as a museum dedicated to White's life and works. The original manuscript of his 'Natural History' can be viewed. In addition, there are displays relating to the expeditions of Victorian explorer Frank Oates and polar explorer Captain Lawrence Oates.
The Wakes,
High Street Selborne,
Alton,
Hampshire,
England,
GU34 3JH
The well-preserved Tribunal townhouse, thought to have been a 15th century merchant's house as well as the courthouse for the Abbey, houses the TIC and the Glastonbury Lake Village Museum, where you will find artifacts from the fascinating archaeological site.
9 High Street,
Glastonbury,
Somerset,
England,
BA6 9DP
Award winning museum housed in a restored Victorian warehouse. Hands-on exhibits follow the history of inland waterways in Britain over the past 200 years. Floating exhibits, and canal boat rides in the summer.
Llanthony Warehouse,
Gloucester Docks Gloucester,
Gloucestershire,
England,
GL1 2EH
An unusual collection of Romany (gypsy) horse-drawn caravans and carts. In addition there is a slide-show and presentation on the Romany way of life, plus tools, cooking utensils, and photographs.
Clay Lake,
Spalding,
Lincolnshire,
England,
PE12 6BL
Housed in the original Grade II listed workshop, the museum explores sixty years of furniture design in the Broadway firm headed by Sir Gordon Russell MC.
15 Russell Square,
Broadway,
Worcestershire,
England,
WR12 7AP
There has been a brewery on this site just off the town centre of Bury since at least the year 1700, and local brews including Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, and Greene King IPA are still being produced here. The brewery museum stands immediately beside the busy modern brewery, across the street from the historic Theatre Royal.
Westgate Street Brewery,
Westgate Street Bury St Edmunds,
Suffolk,
England,
IP33 1QT
Exhibits at this award-winning museum are divided into four main fields; Archaeology, Art & Architecture, Local & Social History, and Natural History. One of the most enjoyable parts of the museum is the City Timeline, which takes visitors on a historical journey into the rich past of Chester, from the time of the Romans.
27 Grosvenor Street,
Chester,
Cheshire,
England,
CH1 2DD
A 17th century townhouse at the top of Guildford High Stret, housing displays of local history, architecture, arts and crafts.
155 High Street,
Guildford,
Surrey,
England,
GU1 3AJ
The gallery occupies space in the refurbished 19th century Guildhall, above the Tourist Office. It offers local artists and artisans a place to exhibit their work through a series of regularly changing displays.
Guildhall,
The Broadway Winchester,
Hampshire,
England,
SO23 9LJ
For over 5 decades this extraordinary underground complex of buildings in the Cheshire countryside served as a secret base for government planning and operations in the event of a nuclear attack on Britain. In a series of linked rooms, communications and administrative command-posts were linked to serve as a central point of government in the event that Britain was engaged in a nuclear war.
PO Box 127,
Nantwich,
Cheshire,
England,
CW5 8AQ
This disused air base just outside Halesworth is home to a small museum that tells the storey of the base and the men who flew from it during World War II. The museum boasts a large collection of WWII memorabilia, and tries to show visitors what it was like for the thousands of men who were stationed here.
Visit the maritime exhibits in a disused 1818 lighthouse, as well as the nearby Victorian Lifeboat House. Go right onboard the lifeboat!
Harwich Green,
Harwich,
Essex,
England
Behind the Georgian facade are housed an impressive array of temporary and permanent exhibits. In fact, this is one of the largest museums in south central England. Outside, as well, the grounds and surrounding countryside offer opportunities for spending a very pleasant day in Surrey.
78 High Street,
Haslemere,
Surrey,
England,
GU27 2LA
The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery has so much to offer it is hard to know where to begin. How about with the fine china and art collections? Or the Durbar Hall, built in the style of an Indian Palace for the Indian and Colonial Exhibition of 1886? In the Dunbar Hall are articles gathered by the Brassey family on their numerous voyages around the world during the 19th century.
Johns Place,
Bohemia Road Hastings,
East Sussex,
England,
TN34 1ET
The largest collection of historic cars in Britain, featuring over 340 international vehicles as old as 1886. Eleven large halls of cars, with vehicles as diverse as a 1900 Clement, 1931 Duesenberg, and classic British motorcycles. The Red Room showcases 50 red sports cars, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, and AC Cobra models.
Sparkford,
nr Yeovil,
Somerset,
England,
BA22 7LH
A small museum operated by Henfield Parish Council, detailing the history of Henfield and area. A large section of the museum is dedicated to the Sussex Rifle Volunteers Regiment, with displays of weapons and uniforms - many of which were made by local outfitters Longley Brothers.
The Henfield Hall,
Coopers Way Henfield,
West Sussex,
England,
BN5 9DB
The museum of the Herefordshire Light Infantry tells the compelling tale of the regiment's history from its inception as the Herefordshire Rifle Volunteers in 1860, through its involvement in such historic campaigns as Gallipoli, Egypt, and Palestine.
Harold Street,
Hereford,
Herefordshire,
England,
HR1 2QX
Not as well known (read less crowded) as the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, but this museum houses the largest collection of historic British cars in the world. Land Rover shuttle rides, off-road 4-wheel drive circuit, and a recreation of a 1930's garage.
Banbury Road,
Gayton,
Warwickshire,
England,
CV35 0BJ
Early 17th century townhouse with 18th century facade houses a local history museum. Recreated Jacobean knot garden.
18, Bull Plain,
Hertford,
Hertfordshire,
England,
SG14 1DT
Chatham Historic Dockyard, on the River Medway in Kent, built warships from the time of Henry VIII. Restored vessels on display include HMS Gannet, the last sloop of Queen Victoria's Royal Navy, historic warship HMS Cavalier and the submarine Ocelot.
Chatham,
Kent,
England,
ME4 4TZ
It's impossible not to notice that Bath is a marvelous city for museums. This one is a treasure house of items from the collection of Sir William Holburne, including silver, Old Masters, Italian bronzes, porcelain, majolica, miniatures, and much more.
Great Pulteney Street,
Bath,
Somerset,
England,
BA2 4DB
On the edge of Sherwood Forest in a peaceful garden setting, the Holocaust Memorial and Education Centre explores the history and implications of the Holocaust. Exhibits, memorial building, memorial gardens.
Laxton,
Newark,
Nottinghamshire,
England,
NG22 0PA
Composer Gustav Holst (The Planets) was born in this Regency house in 1874. Part memorial to the life and work of the composer, and part museum of "upstairs, downstairs" life.
4 Clarence Road,
Pittville,
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire,
England,
GL52 2AY
Down House is a simple 18th century house where naturalist Charles Darwin and his family lived and where he wrote his groundbreaking work 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection'. The house has been restored to the way it was when Darwin lived here. The lower floor portrays the family life of the Darwins, while the first floor contains exhibits on the life of Charles and his wife Emma Darwin.
Down House,
Luxted Road Downe,
Kent,
England,
BR6 7JT
17th century house of chalk and flint chequer-work that acts as a heritage centre for the London Borough of Sutton. Honeywood hosts exhibits on the local history of the area, including a special exhibition on the Tudor palace of Nonesuch. Other featurd exhibits are toys from the Edwardian period and local railways.
Honeywood Walk,
Carshalton,
Surrey,
England,
SM5 3NX
A glimpse into the past of Hornsea, based in an historic farmhouse occupied by the same family for 300 years. The farmhouse was home to the Burns family until 1952, and is filled with artefacts from daily life from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum rooms are carefully arranged to show how the family lived, worked, and played.
11 Newbegin,
Hornsea,
Yorkshire,
England,
HU181AB
The Horsham Museum is located in a lovely timber-framed building; a suitable setting for housing the 26 galleries that make up the museum's collection of local history. The exhibits range from farm implements to costumes, a cabinet of curiosities, a Georgian Room, and a special 'Crime and Punishment' exhibit.
9 Causeway,
Horsham,
West Sussex,
England,
RH13 9GN
A treat for the modern shopaholic! At 'How We Lived Then' you will find one hundred years of shops and shopping arranged over four floors of a fascinating museum. Exhibits recreate the authentic look, feel, smells, and ambiance of shops at various times through the past.
20 Cornfield Terrace,
Eastbourne,
East Sussex,
England,
BN21 4NS
A new exhibition centre for medieval stained glass based in the beautiful surroundings of St Peter Hungate church in the old centre of Norwich. St Peter's is a lovely 15th century parish church no longer used for regular worship. It has been transformed into a venue for displaying the superb heritage of medieval stained glass from Norfolk's historic churches.
St Peters Huntgate Church,
Princes Street Norwich,
Norfolk,
England,
NR31AE
During WWII Duxford was one of the most important air bases in Britain, and planes flying from here played a major role in the Battle of Britain. Today Duxford houses the largest collection of historic aircraft in Europe, ranging from WWI vintage biplanes to Spitfires, Concorde and Gulf War jets.
Heathfield,
Duxford,
Cambridgeshire,
England,
CB2 4QR
The Jane Austen centre is located on Gay Street, Queen's Square, only a short distance from the house where Austen lived briefly in 1805. The novelist was resident in Bath between 1801 and 1806, and the city features prominently in several of her works. The museum is set in a period terraced house, with exhibits of Regency costume, maps, books, and films that bring to life Jane Austen's role in the history of Bath.
40 Gay Street,
Queen Square Bath,
Somerset,
England,
BA1 2NT
This delightful museum is located in the comfortable 17th century house where Austen worked and wrote some of her most enduring novels, including Pride and Prejudice. See the table that she wrote at, and numerous artefacts associate with her and her family. In the Old Bakehouse is the donkey cart in which Austen rode when she became to ill to walk. Several first editions of the novelist's works are on display. Beside the main house is the separate kitchen, with its huge brick fireplace. Chawton is located just a few miles from Austen's birthplace at Steventon.
Chawton,
Alton,
Hampshire,
England,
GU34 1SD
Attraction Type:
Museum Heritage Rating:? Location: 1 mile south west of Alton on the main street of Chawton. Parking along the street or in nearby paid parking areas.
The Jorvik Viking Centre is an award-winning museum that re-creates in vivid detail the sights, smells, sounds, and flavour of daily life in the tumultuous world of 10th century York.
Coppergate,
York,
Yorkshire,
England,
YO1 9WT
Modern displays outline the history of the Regiments of Devon and Dorset. Fantastic views out over Hardy country from the keep battlements.
Bridport Road,
Dorchester,
Dorset,
England,
DT1 1RN
An eclectic mix of mechanical and musical marvels from days gone by, Keith Harding's features a unique collection of instruments that play themselves, from music boxes to automata. You can visit the restoration workshop, and purchase clocks and musical instruments from the ever-changing collection in the shop.
The Oak House,
High Street Northleach,
Cotswolds,
Gloucestershire,
England,
GL54 3ET
Housed in a building contructed for this very purpose in 1897, the Keswick Museum tells the story of the town and the area. Everyone knows about the incredible scenery, but did you know the first pencils were invented here? Not to mention a 500-year-old cat and Napoleon's teacup...
Fitz Park,
Station Road Keswick,
Cumbria,
England,
CA12 4NF
Three historic buildings set in one of the best preserved parts of old Romsey. King John's House is an early medieval half-timbered building dating to the 13th century. Many of the original architectural details can still be seen, including an unusual bone floor. Next door Tudor Cottage is a late Tudor or early Jacobean building which has been restored onm the upper floor to its original condition. The final building in this 'time capsule' of historic properties in a Victorian and Edwardian museum, showcasing life in Romsey in that period. The upper floor has been restored as the gunshop it once was, using original fittings and display items.
Church Street,
Romsey,
Hampshire,
England,
SO51 8BT
Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald set 21 world speed records on land and sea. This musem uses video, photos, and scale models to tell the story of this remarkable father and son team. One of the highlights is a full-scale model of the jet engine hydroplane Bluebird in which Donald Campbell was killed while attempting to break the water speed record on Coniston water in 1967. Now in new, purpose-built premises, the museum presents a total of over 30,000 exhibits, both of all things automobile and of other vintage subjects such as the industrial history of the Leven Valley and period shop fronts.
Old Blue Mill,
Backbarrow,
Ulverston,
Cumbria,
England,
LA12 8TA
Attraction Type:
Museum Heritage Rating:? Location: on B5278; visit may be combined with Windermere Lake cruise
An elegant Georgian town house, built in 1753, owned by the National Trust but used as a local museum. The museum tells the story of Launceston, with emphasis on some of the famous people who have lived here, including John Couch Adams, the astronomer who discovered the planet Neptune.
9 Castle Street,
Launceston,
Cornwall,
England,
PL15 8BA
Church Lane is a narrow, cobbled lane leading from Ledbury High Street to the medieval parish church. The lane is full of attractive timber-framed buildings, and among those historic buildings is the Ledbury Heritage Centre. The centre houses a museum of Ledbury history, with further displays covering poets Elizabeth Barrett Browning and John Masefield and their association with Ledbury.
Church Lane,
Ledbury,
Herefordshire,
England,
HR8 1DN
The LBRM is one of the most popular narrow-gauge railways in the country, and the top visitor attraction in Leighton Buzzard. The line was first built in 1919 to carry sand, but since 1968 has operated steam-driven round-trip passenger services between Pages Parks and Stonehenge Works, a journey of just over an hour. The railway also maintains the largest collection of narrow-guage locomotives in Britain.
Page’s Park Station,
Billington Road Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire,
England,
LU7 4TN
A museum of local history for Leominster and area. The Folk Museum includes a recreation of a Victorian schoolroom and stables, plus a cider press and mill. Local archaeological finds are on display. There is a special exhibit on local artist John Scarlett Davis, an immensely successful Victorian painter.
Etnam Street,
Leominster,
Herefordshire,
England,
HR6 8AL
An Arts and Crafts style house built in 1902 by Frank Dickinson. Dickinson was an artist and designer who was inspired by the writings of John Ruskin and William Morris to create a house filled with hand crafted art in traditional styles and materials. The interior features paintings, furniture, metalwork, friezes, and materials all created by Dickinson.
40 Beeches Avenue,
Carshalton ,
Surrey,
England,
SM5 3LW
Located in an imposing 18th century manor house in central Littlehampton, the Littlehampton Museum showcases local artists and craftspeople, and explores the history of the Littlehampton area. There are collections of archaeology, maritime history, and photography.
Manor House,
Church Street Littlehampton,
West Sussex,
England,
BN17 5EW
The importance of Lulworth as a natural habitat and area of geologic importance has been recognized by its designation as a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and Heritage Coast. This diversity is explored in the Heritage Centre, which offers educational material as well as providing excellent views of the Cove.
Lulworth Cove,
East Lulworth,
Dorset,
England,
BH20 5QS
Housed in a large Victorian mansion, the Wardown Park Museum focusses on the traditional crafts of Bedfordshire, notably lace-making and hat-making. There are samples of local lace from as early as the 17th century. Extensive displays of decorative arts, including Saxon jewelry. There are also exhibits of costumes, straw-plaiting, fine arts, and several Victorian room settings, as well as medieval guild books.
Wardown Park,
Luton,
Bedfordshire,
England,
LU2 7HA
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