Mildenhall Museum

About the museum

The museum grew out of the Mildenhall Natural History and Archaeological Society, which was formed after the Second World War by local enthusiasts. Its first one-day exhibition, held on 26 May 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain, was so popular that the society decided to keep a permanent display. It began in two small rooms above the Town Hall, open on Sunday afternoons, with mostly archaeological and natural history exhibits.

As private collections were bequeathed to the society, including the important Sid Ford collection, larger premises were needed. The museum moved to rooms in the former Trustee Savings Bank building in 1968, was badly damaged by a fire in 1973, and reopened in 1974. In the 1980s, when the bank wanted the space back, the district council offered two run-down flint cottages at the corner of King Street and Market Street. They were joined into one building with a rear extension, and the foundation stone was laid in 1983.

The building was extended again after a Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 2012, which paid for a new floor, a community space for schools and groups, and the display of the Anglo-Saxon warrior and his horse excavated at RAF Lakenheath. The museum is a registered charity run by volunteers, with free entry, and is supported by donations, book sales and the Museum Society.

Highlights

• The Lakenheath Warrior and his horse, an Anglo-Saxon burial of international importance
• Replicas of the Roman Mildenhall Treasure silver tableware
• Prehistory room with flint tools and fossils that visitors may touch
• Displays on RAF Mildenhall and the 1934 Great Air Race
• Fen and Breck gallery on local farming, fishing and rabbit-fur production
• 1950s community room

Permanent exhibitions

• Anglo-Saxons – The Lakenheath Warrior and his horse, excavated at RAF Lakenheath, with finds from other local Anglo-Saxon graves.
• The Romans – The story of the Mildenhall Treasure, shown in replica, with Roman jewellery and brooches from Britain.
• In the air – The Great Air Race of 1934 and the role of the Mildenhall air base in war and peacetime.

Founded

1951

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

There is no entry charge; donations are welcome.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator
• 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

A lift serves the first floor and a lightweight wheelchair can be borrowed by visitors. The museum refers to the AccessAble website for a detailed access guide.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Some items in the prehistory room, such as fossils, can be handled, and the Fen and Breck gallery includes a hands-on eel exhibit.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

Books published by the museum are on sale.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit