Epworth Old Rectory

About the museum

The Old Rectory in Epworth was the home of the Wesley family, including the brothers John and Charles Wesley, who later founded the Methodist movement. The family lived in an earlier timber and thatch rectory, which was damaged by fire in 1702 and destroyed by another fire on 9 February 1709. John, aged five, was rescued from an upstairs window just before the roof fell in.

The rector Samuel Wesley then built the present brick and stone house in Queen Anne style on the same site, and the family moved in by December 1709. The building cost him £400 of his own money plus help from friends, and it left him deeper in debt. After his death in 1735 the house stayed with the Church of England and was home to later rectors of St Andrew's church, who altered it over two centuries.

In 1954 the Methodist Church bought the house, with support from the World Methodist Council, and restored it. It opened as a museum and guest house in 1957 and later became a museum only. It gained Accredited Museum status in 2009 and became a registered charity in 2011. Most furnishings are eighteenth-century pieces or replicas rather than Wesley originals, but the collection includes Wesley portraits, letters and other Wesleyana. The Grade I listed house is open to visitors with guided and self-guided tours, a Physick Garden and a shop.

Highlights

• Queen Anne rectory of 1709, childhood home of John and Charles Wesley
• Guided tours telling the story of the Wesley family
• Physick Garden planted from John Wesley's Primitive Physick
• Wesley portraits, letters and the 18th-century stump bed
• Walk with Wesley, a pre-booked guided walk around Epworth

Permanent exhibition

• The Wesley family home – Period rooms of the 1709 rectory with Wesley portraits, letters, a Queen Anne staircase, the kitchen and the stump bed, told through guided or self-guided tours.

Founded

1957

Operated by

Epworth Old Rectory (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

The basic self-guided visit costs £4 for ages 5 and over; children under 5 are free. Discovery Bags for children can be borrowed free of charge.

Accessibility

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

A ramp leads to the front door and the ground floor is accessible, with some small changes of floor level. The first floor is not wheelchair accessible. Parts of the gardens are accessible, and there are two accessible toilets. Parking close to the house can be arranged on request. The shop is accessible, and guides adapt the tour to the needs of visitors. A virtual 3D tour can be viewed on a tablet in a quiet accessible space.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Children can borrow free Discovery Bags with activities from the shop. The Old Rectory runs family fun days in the gardens, performances, heritage crafts and cookery in Susanna's Kitchen, as well as school learning visits, Learning Weeks and loan boxes.

Getting there & parking

The Old Rectory is at 1 Rectory Street in Epworth. Parking close to the house can be arranged for visitors with access needs.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The shop sells books and souvenirs about the Rectory and Methodism and is where children collect Discovery Bags. Groups can pre-book morning coffee, simple lunches and afternoon tea. Large tripods and selfie sticks can be left in the shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit