Bruce Castle Museum

About the museum

Bruce Castle is a 16th-century manor house in Tottenham, once known as the Lordship House. It takes its name from the Bruce family, who held a third of the manor in the Middle Ages, although there was never a castle on the site. A brick tower beside the house is generally seen as its oldest part. In the 17th century the Hare family, later Lords Coleraine, owned the manor, and in 1684 Henry Hare remodelled the south front of the house.

In the 19th century the building became a school. A branch of the Hill family's school opened here in 1827 with Rowland Hill as headmaster, and Hill later became head of the Post Office and introduced the postage stamp. The school added a Gothic Revival wing in 1870 and closed in 1891.

Tottenham Council bought the house and grounds in 1891. The grounds opened as a public park in 1892 and the house became a museum in 1906. It now belongs to the London Borough of Haringey and holds both the borough's museum collections and its archive. Visitors can explore galleries on local history, postal history and Rowland Hill, community collections, the Tudor tower and the surrounding parkland, and the building is Grade I listed.

Highlights

• Haringey History gallery in the Hall
• Postal History Room on Sir Rowland Hill and the penny post
• Collecting Communities gallery
• The Little Parlour hands-on gallery for ages 3 to 8
• Tudor tower and parkland

Permanent exhibitions

• Haringey History – A gallery in the Hall on the history of the London Borough of Haringey.
• Postal History Room – The postal heritage of Haringey and Sir Rowland Hill's introduction of the penny post, which he developed while living at Bruce Castle.
• Collecting Communities – Objects from the museum and archive collected together with local communities.

Founded

1906

Operated by

London Borough of Haringey

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the museum and archive is free. Trail and activity booklets cost £1 each.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The front entrance is level and there is a ramped entrance from the car park. The ground-floor and first-floor galleries are accessible to wheelchairs, buggies and walking aids; the first floor is reached by 24 stairs or a stair lift, with staff on hand to help. There are two accessible toilets on the ground floor and one on the first floor. Induction loops are available at the main reception desk and in the lecture hall. One disabled parking bay is next to the ramp. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

The Little Parlour is a hands-on gallery for children aged 3 to 8 with dressing up, books and puzzles. Trail booklets (Mystery Manor and a tree trail) cost £1 each, and free drop-in craft sessions are held in school holidays; take-home craft packs are available at weekends. There is a children's play area in the park behind the museum. Two baby changing facilities are in the ground-floor toilets.

Getting there & parking

The satnav postcode for the car park gate is N17 7AA. The museum is on the City to Tottenham Cycleway, and bicycles can be locked at the front. Parking restrictions apply on Tottenham Hotspur event days.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available

There is no café in the museum; the Pavilion café in the south-east corner of Bruce Castle Park is open to all visitors, and small cafés are on Lordship Lane. Tea and coffee are served at talks, events and tours. Buggies and children's scooters can be stored at the museum.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The castle can be hired for meetings and events, and for weddings and civil ceremonies.

Plan your visit