In 1984 the Wymondham Heritage Society set up a museum in a small bakehouse in the town. Ten years later the Society, which is a registered charity, purchased the Bridewell and converted it into a community complex. The Bridewell Preservation Trust was set up to run the building, which the museum shares with several other tenants.
In 1996 Wymondham Heritage Museum relocated to the Bridewell. The museum continues to be managed by Wymondham Heritage Society and is staffed and run entirely by volunteers.
In 1997 the museum won a Gulbenkian Award and was highly commended for most outstanding achievement with limited resources. In 2001 it was joint 'Excellence in Tourism' winner of Norfolk's Berry Savory Tourism Award.
The first Bridewell on the site dates from 1619 and was an old medieval house where prisoners were kept in darkness in a dungeon in the basement.
After a visit by prison reformer John Howard in 1779, the building was rebuilt in 1785 as a 'model' prison.
Are you part of an art or photographic group and are looking for an exhibition space in Wymondham?
Our tea room has been designed to provide a space for local artists or groups to display their work at a very reasonable monthly rate.
The museum is often featured in the local news.
The museum is run and managed by a team of volunteers.
