Ashford Museum
Volunteer-run museum in a 17th-century former grammar school and nurses' home in Ashford town centre, showing the history of the town and borough.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Ashford Museum stands in the Churchyard in the centre of Ashford, opposite the west door of St Mary's church. It occupies two buildings. The Wilks Hall was built and endowed in 1635 by Sir Norton Knatchbull and served as Ashford Grammar School until a new school opened in 1881. It has been restored, and features of a 17th-century schoolroom survive, including the master's and usher's seats, book niches in the walls and panelling carved with pupils' graffiti. Number 18 next door was built in 1890 as a parish nurses' home.
The museum grew out of talks among local people in the late 1980s. A small photographic show in the Wilks Hall drew more than 500 visitors in one weekend, and the museum opened soon after when the hall became available. It is run by the Ashford Borough Museum Society, a registered charity staffed entirely by volunteers, and it is accredited by Arts Council England.
The collections cover the borough and its people, from prehistoric finds, including a dinosaur bone found in 2001, to the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods, the First and Second World Wars, medical instruments, the railway works and Ashford's medieval market.
Highlights
- Wilks Hall, a 1635 schoolroom with original master's seat and pupils' graffiti
- Ashford litter, one of very few surviving examples in the UK
- Railway memorabilia and a model railway
- Prehistoric finds including a dinosaur leg bone
- Displays on both world wars and prisoner of war camps in the borough
Permanent exhibition
- Ashford's story – Displays on the borough from prehistory and the Anglo-Saxon period to the railway works, both world wars and the old market.
- Operated by
- Ashford Borough Museum Society (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Education, youth and community groups are not charged, but a donation is requested. A maximum group size of 25 is recommended. |
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The museum aims to provide a free facility and relies on donations and society membership (single £10, family £12.50 a year).
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Ramped access suitable for wheelchairs leads to the entrance and between the ground floors of the two buildings. Users of larger mobility scooters may not be able to manage the turns at the top of the entrance ramp and at the bottom of the ramp between the buildings. There are some on-street disabled bays in Tufton Street.
Kids & families
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
The museum takes part in the Wheels of Time badge scheme for children aged 5 to 11 at Kent museums, and it is a Children's University learning destination. Children can use a museum trail and a town centre heritage trail quiz.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bank Street
All local buses stop in Bank Street, and the stops for the main bus routes are in Park Street. Ashford International station is a ten-minute walk away.
By car
Parking available
Parking is available nearby at Vicarage Lane, and there are some on-street disabled bays in Tufton Street.
- Accessible parking
The museum is in the Churchyard, opposite the west door of St Mary's Parish Church.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
No facilities are described on the museum website.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
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| Good to know | Groups should give notice so that enough volunteers can host the visit, and visits outside opening hours can be arranged. A museum trail and a town centre heritage trail quiz are available from the stewards. |
