Wymondham Heritage Museum
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Temporarily closed until further notice
Wymondham Heritage Museum
Wymondham Heritage Museum
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
Wymondham Heritage Museum tells the story of Wymondham, the daily lives of its inhabitants, the town's heroes and villains and great events from its past. Situated in the Bridewell which, has served as a prison, police station and courthouse, it is full of history that can be enjoyed by all the family. Explore Wymondham's colourful history and learn about its people from Prehistoric times, the Iron Age, the Romans and Saxons to Wymondham's beautiful medieval Abbey. Learn about the Bridewell from its beginning in 1785 as a 'model prison' and see what life would have been like for a prisoner in the recreated dungeon. Follow the story of Robert Kett, leader of Tudor England's most inspiring rebellion. Hear the story of Wymondham's brush industry and operate a working brush-making machine. Open daily from April to October, no trip to Wymondham is complete without a visit to this remarkable museum.
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4.5
38 reviews
Excellent
23
Very good
12
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
samroxyjenny
Woodbridge, UK61 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Never got to see inside. We were visiting the town to see the car show and it was open weekend so we thought let's look in the museum outside it said free which is what we believe step in the door got scream at saying you can't come in if you don't pay £2 they thought as it was open weekend they would charge you no sign anywhere so very rude. I won't even bother to come back when it's free I always donated when it's free but this time I just walked out. Not good
Written 19 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback about your recent visit. It was very disappointing to read about your experience. I assume that you visited during Wymondham’s Vintage Day, during Heritage Open Days.
In answer to your comments, there was originally no sign outside, then later a sign saying £2 entry & children free. We were supporting the town’s Vintage Day event with a 50% reduced adult admission charge; this was advertised online and in the event’s programme. The museum did not register this year for the Heritage Open Days’ free entry. (But we have done in the past).
Knowing how passionately the volunteers care about the museum, it is extremely unlikely that any of them would ‘scream’ at a visitor. It is all a matter of perception, so it is possible that a steward raising their voice to be heard above the general hubbub could be construed as screaming. However, if this is the case then please accept our apology for any offence this may have caused.
For information, the museum receives no external funding so is reliant on the income it receives from admission charges and tearoom sales to be able to continue to tell the stories of our town. It is run entirely by volunteers.
Written 16 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jwyl2240
Arundel, UK82 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Well where do I start? We happened upon information regarding this museum being the 1st purpose built prison with individual cells built in 1785 to replace the original house of correction c1619, so couldn’t resist visiting.
99% of the museum is on the ground floor but there is a stone staircase down to the basement where there is a re-created dungeon, as the house of correction did have a dungeon.
We are not the most agile so rang ahead to check where the nearest parking was and were lucky to be told that they did have I space in their car park for disabled parking and it was actually free and we were offered the use it. Other than that there is a car park within normal walking distance or side roads with double yellow lines.
In reception where the counter is part of the original magistrates bench; you can pick up an information guide which takes you through each room with a description of what it contains. Information re the local brush factory, Ketts rebellion of 1549 in the corridor which was also the main route for the magistrates to the courtroom. There is a display showing the old cinema and the films that were shown.
There is an example of 1 of the 3 police cells that were here when the building was used as the local police station with an audio guide.
The tearoom was the exercise yard and has a well in one corner.
The staff are very friendly and we were lucky to meet JB who having volunteered here for 10 years + is a mine of information.
Well worth the entrance fee and not to be missed.
99% of the museum is on the ground floor but there is a stone staircase down to the basement where there is a re-created dungeon, as the house of correction did have a dungeon.
We are not the most agile so rang ahead to check where the nearest parking was and were lucky to be told that they did have I space in their car park for disabled parking and it was actually free and we were offered the use it. Other than that there is a car park within normal walking distance or side roads with double yellow lines.
In reception where the counter is part of the original magistrates bench; you can pick up an information guide which takes you through each room with a description of what it contains. Information re the local brush factory, Ketts rebellion of 1549 in the corridor which was also the main route for the magistrates to the courtroom. There is a display showing the old cinema and the films that were shown.
There is an example of 1 of the 3 police cells that were here when the building was used as the local police station with an audio guide.
The tearoom was the exercise yard and has a well in one corner.
The staff are very friendly and we were lucky to meet JB who having volunteered here for 10 years + is a mine of information.
Well worth the entrance fee and not to be missed.
Written 8 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David M
Norwich, UK53 contributions
Apr 2023 • Solo
Fantastic museum , exhibits were well presented , spotlessly clean , very good captions for the displays , very nice staff , spent two hours there , cafe was good , thoroughly recommended, museums like this need to be kept open , well everybody involved in the running of this museum
Written 28 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for taking the time to post a review of our museum and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your visit. Our museum is entirely run by volunteers so it is really encouraging to receive such a positive feedback for both the museum and tearoom.
Written 4 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SmithFamily2015
Oxfordshire, UK36 contributions
Aug 2021
We called in here on a short staycation in Norfolk and were given a very warm welcome at Reception. The lovely ladies on duty provided us with some information about the museum and advice on the best way to access the exhibits.
We were expecting the museum to be dominated by the story of the Kett Rebellion, and we loved the painting and the exhibits dedicated to this important moment in Tudor history, but this place has so much more to offer.
It was fascinating to find out more about the history of Wymondham and there was a lot of useful information displayed in an accessible and interesting way.
This wonderful museum is well worth a visit if you are in the area and I have no doubt that we will be back.
Thanks for making us so welcome!
We were expecting the museum to be dominated by the story of the Kett Rebellion, and we loved the painting and the exhibits dedicated to this important moment in Tudor history, but this place has so much more to offer.
It was fascinating to find out more about the history of Wymondham and there was a lot of useful information displayed in an accessible and interesting way.
This wonderful museum is well worth a visit if you are in the area and I have no doubt that we will be back.
Thanks for making us so welcome!
Written 19 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for choosing to visit our museum during your recent holiday in Norfolk and for taking the time to post a review. The museum is entirely run by volunteers and it is always encouraging to us when we receive such postive feedback. We hope that you will visit us again if you return for another holiday.
Written 1 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve and Carolyn Hayes
5 contributions
Oct 2019
This was our second visit this year, and it was just as interesting as the first! So much to see, you can't take it all in in one go. In fact we'll probably visit again next time we stay in Wymondham. What a fascinating history the building (and the town) has - and it has all been depicted and laid out very well. I am a glutton for leaflets and came away with a whole handful, and a dinosaur keyring for the little boy where we were staying, which he was delighted with - so something for everyone! We found the little grocers shop particularly interesting, as we remember so many of the makes and items, and also the vast collection of irons and other electrical appliances. One of the best town museums we have been to. Thank you again.
Written 16 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking the time to post a review of our museum and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your visit. It is especially encouraging to hear that you are a repeat visitor and have found something new to interest you each visit. Over the winter, we are planning to redevelop our grocer shop display to make it more relevant to specific shops within the town rather than just a general display. So, if you do visit the town again in the future we hope that you will come and see us again.
Written 21 October 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David H
Norwich, UK485 contributions
Sep 2019
The story of Wymondhams most well known character Robert Kett is told here by both an exhibition on the wall and by a virtual reality experience.There is a good insight into the buildings past history.with a cell to retain prisoners awaiting trial and a dungeon!.There are other exhibits telling storys of Wymondhams part in the war and a good exhibit of it's brush making past.The staff were nice and there is a cafe.
Written 22 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to post a review of our museum and we are pleased that you enjoyed your visit. Our museum is entirely run by volunteers and it is always encouraging to receive such positive feedback.
Written 26 September 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karen H
3 contributions
Aug 2019
We spent several hours working out the Big Bridewell Trail and all of us learnt something new that day. Don’t forget to visit the tea rooms for some lovely refreshments. All the Staff were extremely helpful and gave us a warm welcome. The youngest in our group was 10 years old and he dropped a penny down the well and made a wish. The eldest was 68 and was in her element upon seeing the old fashioned switchboard.
Written 21 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so pleased that your family enjoyed their visit to our museum and tea room and many thanks for taking the time to post such a great review. As we are all volunteers, it is always encouraging to receive positive feedback and we hope that you will visit us again in the future.
Written 26 September 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
EasternWarbler
Norfolk, UK3 contributions
Aug 2019
On entering, the staff were fantastically friendly and engaging. They are superb with children. There is plenty to see. Wymondham has a varied and exciting history. The brush filling machine is fun to operate. The current installation of the Kett's Rebellion Virtual Reality headsets really bring the rebellion to life: It is great to see how Bishop Bridge looked in 1549.
Written 5 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for taking the time to post such a great review of our museum and we are really pleased that you enjoyed your visit. Our museum is run entirely by volunteers so it really encouraging for us to receive such positive feedback.
Written 7 August 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lindylou129
Stafford, UK61 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Found this museum on a wet day and we were glad that we did. Only cost £3 for the older generation but well worth the money. A trip to the dungeons gave us something to think about but also who would have thought the manufacture of brushes could be so interesting. The story of the Kett rebellion was something we had never heard of and the brick made of straw and clay gave me the answer as to why there are so many ponds around farm buildings, you must visit the museum to find out! Well recommended.
Written 12 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for taking the time to post such a great review and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your visit. The museum is run entirely by volunteers and it is very encouraging to receive such positive feedback. Each year we change some of our displays to tell a different story about of town so we hope that you will visit us again in the future.
Written 14 June 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
anna h
Thetford, UK280 contributions
Jun 2019 • Friends
This is the first time I've been to the town & the museum had been open
As it was only an hour before closing we got in for a reduced rate.
The tea shop wasn't opened. We could have done with a hot cuppa as it was a cold rainy day.
A lovely little museum, with some interesting local history.
Although from the outside I was expecting more than the ground floor & the basement. I thought they'd be a second floor
As it was only an hour before closing we got in for a reduced rate.
The tea shop wasn't opened. We could have done with a hot cuppa as it was a cold rainy day.
A lovely little museum, with some interesting local history.
Although from the outside I was expecting more than the ground floor & the basement. I thought they'd be a second floor
Written 11 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to post a review and we are pleased that you enjoyed your visit. However, we are sorry that the tea room was closed when you visited. The museum is entirely run by volunteers and, because we have trouble attracting enough people to help, we have to limit the tea room opening times to Monday to Friday from 10:30 until 15:30 and there are times when, because of a shortage of staff, we are not able to open the tea room at all.
Written 14 June 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Claim your listingWYMONDHAM HERITAGE MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Wymondham Heritage Museum
- Wymondham Heritage Museum is open:
- Thu - Fri 10:00 - 16:00
- Sat - Wed 13:00 - 16:00
- Hotels near Wymondham Heritage Museum:
- (0.40 mi) 61 on Folly B&B Suites
- (0.18 mi) Townhouse Hotel
- (0.19 mi) Friarscroft Lodge - 3 bedroom detached house
- (0.28 mi) Number 10 The Abbey
- (0.27 mi) Fifty Damgate Street
- Restaurants near Wymondham Heritage Museum:
- (0.10 mi) Queen's Head
- (0.13 mi) Mad Hatters Tea Shop
- (0.17 mi) SathuDee Thai Restaurant
- (0.11 mi) The Hideout
- (0.11 mi) Fairland Diner