Henfield Museum
Parish-council museum in Henfield Hall with local history, costume, art and photograph collections, run by volunteers.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Henfield Museum grew from a small exhibit of local objects put together around 1930 by Lucie Bishop and her aunt Alice Standen. The collection was kept in cupboards and display cases in the Assembly Rooms on the High Street for decades, with occasional exhibitions such as the coronation display of 1937 and a costume exhibition for the Festival of Britain in 1951. A first honorary curator prepared a catalogue of about 200 items in 1964.
The museum moved into a permanent home in the new village hall in 1974 and applied for Registered Museum status in 1991. The entrance was moved to the front of the building and the museum took its present form in 1993, with a new museum officially opened on 8 February 1994.
The museum is owned and run by Henfield Parish Council, with a museum committee, volunteers and the Friends of Henfield Museum, founded in 2014. Its collections range from prehistoric flints and farm tools to costume, art, the Wade family watercolours, oral histories, maps, aerial photographs and the Marjorie Baker and other historic photograph collections.
Highlights
- Local history from prehistoric flints to the 20th century
- Costume collection with rotating displays
- Marjorie Baker photograph collection and Those Who Served
- Wade family watercolours and art collection
- Census copies and archives for Henfield and nearby parishes
- Operated by
- Henfield Parish Council
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- 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 ground floor and there is a shallow ramp at the front of the building. Toilets, including an accessible toilet, are inside when the main hall is open; when it is shut, accessible facilities are at the High Street bus shelter nearby.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
The nearest railway stations are Hassocks and Haywards Heath. Bus services 17 (Brighton to Horsham), 100 (Burgess Hill to Pulborough) and 106 (Henfield to Worthing) stop in the High Street, a few minutes' walk from the museum.
By car
Paid parking
Pay and display car parks are next to the hall and by the library across the High Street, off Bishops Close.
From the High Street, turn east by the Free Church to reach Coopers Way.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
No refreshments are sold in the museum, but there are inns, cafés and tearooms in the High Street a few minutes' walk away. The museum shop sells books, DVDs, cards and prints, mostly produced by the Friends of Henfield Museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum runs curriculum-linked sessions for schools, with Henfield in the Second World War especially popular, and offers outreach and reminiscence sessions for community groups and care homes. A memory box can be hired for people who cannot visit in person. |
