Explore the Museum & discover things you will enjoy

Outside the Museum

 

Welcome to the Heritage Museum -->

A surviving barred prison window -->

This window is at the left hand end of the front of the museum.

The original dungeon floor -->

 

The 8 steps used by John Howard -->

Cast iron pump in courtyard garden -->

This pump provided water to settle the dust on the road to Norwich from Wymondham.

Millhouse used for punishment -->

Male prisoners who misbehaved were set to work this mill either to cut wood to heat dyeing vats in Norwich or to hackle hemp.

 

Shop area & below ground

Stairs down to dungeon -->

Bath chair -->

Backus boy's room -->

 

Women prisoners in dungeon scene -->

Shop counter. Once a magistrates' bench, now displaying many attractive gifts. -->

Books on local history for sale in the shop -->

Briton Brush clocking in clock -->

 

Prison display & brush room

NOTE: The brush room display was completely revised in 2009 to improve visitor access and participation. A notable addition is a renovated Gane brush-filling machine.

Go through the prison door & learn more about the Bridewell as a prison -->

View across the brush room -->

When Wymondham brushes swept the world! -->

The crank punishment machine -->

A powerful source of bristles -->

Men's leg-irons -->

A Gane brush-filling machine dating from c. 1900 which can be operated by visitors -->

Close-up of pictures now added to the brush display -->

 

Women using Gane brush-filling machines at the factory of S. D. Page and Sons in 1901 (painted panel in the Tea Room)

 

New displays for 2010

Wymondham's Girl Guides -->

Late Victorian children's clothing -->

The Great Fire of 1615 -->

Norfolk's Secret Army -->

70th anniversary of Home Guard -->

History of the Market Cross -->

An example from the Edwardian Picture Gallery: the work of local photographers c.1907-09 -->

 

Main gallery permanent displays

General view on entering the main gallery *--->*

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The main gallery is housed on the ground floor of the old south prison wing. The dark floor tiles mark the footings of the old cell walls.

 

The Wymondham Abbey case -->

Explore Kett's Oak -->

The Romans -->

 

Saxon and Norman Wymondham -->

 

Memories of Wymondham -->

Wymondham station & the railway -->

Damgate shop -->

 

Agricultural implements -->

C.S.Daniels nurseries & more tools -->

Robert Kett addresses his followers on Mousehold Heath -->

 

The remand cell

View through door into the cell -->

The prisoner in his cell -->