Ramsey Rural Museum

About the museum

Ramsey Rural Museum was started by local people who wanted to save the objects of everyday Fenland life. A visit to a private farm museum at Haddenham showed a curate, a vicar and a farmer how many historic items in the Ramsey area were at risk of being lost. A local committee was formed in September 1977, and the Fellowes Estate leased the site on Wood Lane.

The site was part of the Benedictine Ramsey Abbey, which was founded in the 10th century. After the abbey was dissolved in 1539 its stone was reused, and a wood yard was built from abbey stone in 1657. The buildings later served as workshops and stores and were derelict by the 1970s. Volunteers cleared the site and restored the buildings, replacing the thatch with more than 20,000 donated pantiles, apart from the reception area, which is still thatched. The Whitehall Barn was moved from Upwood to add indoor display space.

The museum opened to the public in 1983 and was officially opened in 1988 by the Fenland writer Sybil Marshall. A shop block and courtyard were added in 1992, and Darlow’s Farm Cottage was moved from a field near Woodwalton Fen and rebuilt between 2005 and 2012. Today the museum is a registered charity run entirely by volunteers. It has more than 70 display areas and an archive of over 200,000 items.

Highlights

• Tractors, carts and wagons in the Tractor Shed and Cart Shed
• Blacksmith’s forge, wheelwright display and trade shops such as a chemist and a cobbler
• Victorian schoolroom and vintage toys
• Darlow’s Farm Cottage with a 1940s child’s bedroom
• Eel traps and fen skates in the Pump Room
• Ramsey Archives with over 200,000 items

Permanent exhibitions

• Farm machinery and agricultural displays – Hand tools, carts and wagons, vintage tractors and equipment for local crops such as potatoes, sugar beet and celery.
• Trades and shops – A chemist’s and a cobbler’s shop, a reconstructed blacksmith’s forge, a wheelwright display and many other local trades.
• Childhood and domestic life – A Victorian schoolroom, vintage toys, Victorian room settings and Darlow’s Farm Cottage with a 1940s child’s bedroom.

Founded

1977

Operated by

Ramsey Rural Museum (registered charity 1182116)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free. Free entry began as a trial in 2024 and has been extended to the 2026 season, so charges may return. Some event days charge admission. Donations are encouraged and Gift Aid adds 25 per cent. A Supporters Card costs £3 a month and gives half-price entry to events and free admission to talks.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• 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

All display rooms except one are accessible by wheelchair; that room offers a video presentation instead. Electric and large wheelchairs cannot enter Darlow’s Farm Cottage. There are eight allocated disabled parking spaces and a toilet with a radar key and alarm.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Young children can follow a Nursery Rhyme Trail and try brass rubbing. School activities include trails for ages 3 to 7 and themed sessions on Victorian and 1940s life for ages 7 to 11. Reception will warm baby food and bottles.

Getting there & parking

Cycle Route 13 passes nearby, but there are no dedicated cycle paths.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The licensed tea room is open whenever the museum is open, serves teas, coffees, cold drinks, local cakes and snacks, and is open to non-visitors. A book shop sells about 3,000 donated books and a small gift shop in reception sells museum-themed items and local crafts. The grounds include a sensory garden, a wildflower area and a cottage garden.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 500 guests.

Available from April to October. Spaces include the Events Field (500 people), Whitehall Barn (60), the Tea Room (25 to 65), marquees (up to 150) and the Courtyard (50 to 100). Evening events have an 11 pm curfew.

Plan your visit