Stalham Firehouse Museum
Tiny volunteer-run fire museum in a Grade II listed firehouse of 1833 in Stalham, showing an 1881 horse-drawn fire pump.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The firehouse was built in 1833 in the grounds of St Mary’s Parish Church in Stalham, partly because of local worries about property and doubts about fire insurance companies. An early hand pump served the town until 1902, when a horse-drawn pump was acquired.
The first motorised fire engine arrived in the 1920s but was too large for the building, which then became redundant, and a modern fire station was built in the 1960s. The neglected, empty firehouse was opened as an exhibit in 1983 to mark 150 years of the fire service.
It was restored in 2002 and registered as a charitable trust. It is a Grade II listed building, and since 2011 the current trustees and volunteers have looked after it. The museum describes itself as one of the oldest in the country and shows an 1881 horse-drawn pump, which is leased to it, together with a range of local fire-fighting artefacts.
Highlights
- 1881 horse-drawn fire pump
- Grade II listed firehouse of 1833
- Photo with a fire helmet and ringing the fire bells
- On-site quiz and activity book
Permanent exhibition
- 1881 horse-drawn fire pump – A horse-drawn pump of 1881, leased to the museum, shown with other fire-fighting artefacts in the 1833 firehouse.
- Founded
- 1983
- Operated by
- Stalham Firehouse Museum (registered charity 1088377)
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
Children can have their photo taken in a fire helmet, ring the fire bells and try the on-site quiz; an activity book can be bought.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
Café Charlotte is diagonally opposite the museum and the Swan Inn is halfway down the High Street. The museum sells books on the Stalham fire brigade, an activity book, a booklet on the history of the pump and windscreen stickers.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Visitors can sign the visitors’ book and become a Friend of the museum. |
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