Old Guildhall Museum and Gaol

About the museum

The Old Guildhall in East Looe was completed around 1450 in a medieval style, in rubble stone, on Higher Market Street. After East Looe was incorporated in 1587 it became the meeting place of the mayor and burgesses, with a lock-up on the ground floor and a court room that also served as the council chamber. A raised magistrates' bench and a panel with the Royal coat of arms, dated 1705, are still in place upstairs.

In 1877 a new guildhall was completed in Fore Street, and the old building stopped being the seat of local government. After the borough council was abolished it passed to the East Looe Town Trust in 1890. In the later 19th century the ground floor served as a caretaker's flat and the court room as a reading room. The building is listed Grade II*, and in 1972 both floors were converted into a museum.

Today the museum is run by East Looe Town Trust with volunteer staff. Visitors can see the court room and two ground-floor cells, one of which has been opened so that people can experience being locked up. Displays cover fishing and boat building, smuggling and Looe Island, the Looe Valley Railway, the lifeboat service, tourism, and the two world wars. The collection includes paintings, the old town stocks, and a large archive of historic photographs, and a children's activity area encourages younger visitors to explore.

Highlights

• Medieval court room with the original raised magistrates' bench and the Royal coat of arms
• Gaol cells, one open so visitors can step inside
• Smuggling displays, including objects linked to Looe Island
• Exhibits on fishing, boat building and the lifeboat service
• Archive of old photographs of Looe
• Children's activity area with dressing-up clothes

Permanent exhibitions

• Court room and gaol – The upper-floor court room with its original raised bench and Royal coat of arms, and two ground-floor cells, one open for visitors to step inside.
• Smuggling and Looe Island – A display on smuggling around Looe, with objects linked to Looe Island.
• Boats of Looe – Displays on fishing and the boat building tradition of Looe.

Founded

1972

Operated by

East Looe Town Trust

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• 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

Step-free access is through the back door by a ramp: go down the passageway to the right of the main entrance and ring the doorbell. The ramp is heavy, so volunteers may need help from the maintenance team and there can be a short wait. A film on the downstairs television shows the upper floor with spoken commentary for visitors who cannot climb the stairs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

A children's activity area has quizzes, a word search, colouring and stickers. Children can dress up and act out court plays based on real cases heard at the magistrates' court. Children enter free.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit