Sir John Moore Foundation Museum

About the museum

The building that now houses the museum opened in 1697 as a free school for boys, paid for by Sir John Moore, a London merchant who became Lord Mayor of London. Sir Christopher Wren is said to have prepared the first designs, and the local architect Sir William Wilson completed the work. In Victorian times it became a boys' grammar school. It closed in 1933 and reopened in 1957 as the village primary school, which still shares the site with the museum.

The Grade I listed building is looked after by the Sir John Moore Foundation, a registered charity, and its heritage centre is run with the help of volunteers. The collection keeps the memory of the school and of Appleby Magna, including headmasters' log books and other paper records, and the museum tells the story of Sir John Moore himself.

On the top floor three rooms are furnished as they might have looked in 1891: a headmaster's study, a classroom and a boarders' dormitory. Visitors can also see the original 17th-century clock mechanism and the cupola that once held the school bell. A step-free ground-floor gallery is used for changing displays, talks and research. A project planned for 2026 will redesign the old classroom and replace large glass cabinets with smaller cases better suited to the paper collection. The museum also has an online digital collection.

Highlights

• Grade I listed school building of 1697
• Top-floor rooms furnished as in 1891: study, classroom and dormitory
• Original 17th-century clock mechanism
• Headmasters' log books and school records
• Online digital collection

Permanent exhibitions

• Top-floor school rooms – Three rooms furnished as they might have been in 1891: a headmaster's study, a classroom and a boarders' dormitory, plus the original clock mechanism.
• Sir John Moore and the school – Permanent displays on the lives of the people who lived and worked at the school and on the story of Sir John Moore.

Founded

2004

Operated by

Sir John Moore Foundation (registered charity 510484)

Admission & discounts

Admission on open days is not stated.

Accessibility

• Partially 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 ground-floor gallery is step-free, but there are several steps up to the museum itself and the upper-floor tour involves a considerable number of stairs. Accessible toilets were listed for the 2025 open day. Parts of the school are not open to the public.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Leave the A444 at the Appleby Inn and continue along Top Street; the school stands on the right behind a large brick wall and trees. The What3Words location is parked.huddling.alongside.

Amenities & dining

Refreshments are provided for pre-booked groups. A cellar bar was open at the 2025 open day.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit