Chipping Norton Museum
Volunteer-run local museum on the first floor of 4 High Street, Chipping Norton, with collections on local life, farming and archaeology.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Chipping Norton Museum opened in March 1986 in the old schoolroom of the Baptist Chapel in New Street. It moved to its present home on the first floor of 4 High Street, opposite the Town Hall, in 1995. The collection began with a large gift of agricultural tools from Tom Pitt of Chadlington, and many of these are still displayed.
Over the years gifts have widened the collection into varied displays on local life. Archaeology is an important strand: the scheduling of the Roman settlement east of the town as an ancient monument has increased local interest, and the museum holds the Cashmore Collection of over 400 artefacts found by fieldwalking and metal detecting near the site. The Chipping Norton Archaeological Research Group, part of the local history society, carries out field surveys, and its results are available to visitors on request.
The museum is staffed entirely by volunteers and is funded by donations, admission fees, fund-raising and a grant from the town council. Its collecting policy accepts only items linked to Chipping Norton or the area within five miles of the town. The museum marked its 40th anniversary with an open day on 28 March 2026.
Highlights
- Agricultural tools from the founding gift of Tom Pitt
- Cashmore Collection of over 400 archaeological finds
- Material on the Roman settlement east of the town
- Family and local history archive, with Ancestry access
Permanent exhibitions
- Local life and farming – Displays of local interest that grew from a founding collection of agricultural tools donated by Tom Pitt of Chadlington.
- Archaeology – Finds from the area, including the Cashmore Collection of over 400 artefacts from near the scheduled Roman settlement.
- Founded
- 1986
- Operated by
- Chipping Norton Museum (registered charity 1205796)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £1.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 · Children under 16 are free but must be accompanied by an adult. |
Membership of the local history society costs £15 and includes free entry to the museum.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- 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
The museum is on the first floor and the website states that there is no disabled access.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 15 |
|---|
Children under 16 enter free with an adult; no special children's programme is listed.
Getting there & parking
The museum is at 4 High Street, opposite the Town Hall in the centre of Chipping Norton.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
A small museum shop sells books and merchandise.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The archive collections can be examined in the museum, which has internet access to Ancestry for family history. Copies of photographs (not originals) can be supplied, and research visits should be arranged with the curator in advance. |
|---|
