St Seraphim’s Icon and Railway Heritage Museum

About the museum

The museum belongs to St Seraphim’s Trust and occupies the old railway station at Little Walsingham in Norfolk. Walsingham station opened on 1 December 1857 on the Wells and Fakenham Railway, later part of the Great Eastern Railway, and closed on 5 October 1964. Freight such as sugar beet, coal and livestock passed through it, and from the 1930s pilgrim trains brought visitors to the village.

After the closure, the building became an Orthodox church. In 1966 Father Mark, later Father David, and Leon Liddament came to Walsingham with the newly formed Brotherhood of St Seraphim and converted the station into a larger chapel, adding an onion dome and a cross while leaving much of the original fabric in place. The two men painted traditional Orthodox icons here for decades. The trust was formed in 2005 and bought the building from the local council in 2008.

Today the site combines the chapel, an icon museum and gallery with artefacts of icon painting and many original icons, a display on the history of the station and railway in the Garden Room, and the Quiet Garden, which was opened to the public in 2015 on the former railway workers’ garden.

Highlights

• Icon museum and gallery with original icons, many by the Walsingham iconographers
• Display on the history of Walsingham station and railway
• Orthodox pilgrim chapel in the former station building, open daily
• Quiet Garden on the former railway workers’ garden
• Guided icon tours by prior booking

Permanent exhibitions

• Icon Museum and Icon Gallery – A collection of original icons, many painted by the Walsingham iconographers, together with artefacts related to icon painting. Open by appointment.
• Railway heritage display – A display in the Garden Room on the history of Walsingham station and the railway, part of the guided tour.

Operated by

St Seraphim’s Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the chapel and the Quiet Garden is free; the trust relies on donations. Guided icon tours are booked in advance through the online shop and are paid for by donation (a village listing suggests £5).

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The trust states that disabled access is to the garden only, which has a ramp from Station Road. The chapel is open to assistance dogs only. A visitor toilet is available on the site.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

From the Market Place, take Station Road to the right of the Black Lion pub; the chapel is at the top, next to the coach park. From the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway, cross Egmere Road and walk straight ahead; it is the first building on the left.

Amenities & dining

Visitor toilet and picnic facilities. Cards, prints and prayer cards are sold through the online shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit