Wigston Framework Knitters Museum
Preserved master hosier’s house with a Victorian frame shop, hand knitting frames and a garden, open on Sunday afternoons.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum is a master hosier’s house at Bushloe End in Wigston. The house dates from the last years of the 17th century and shows signs of several alterations. At the back are a cobbled yard with a water pump and a two-storey Victorian frame shop in the garden, and the brick floor of an earlier frame shop can still be seen inside the Yarn Room.
The site is unusual because its workshop was simply locked up when the last master hosier, Edgar Carter, died in 1951. On the ground floor were eight hand frames for making gloves, mitts and fancy ribbed golf hose tops, together with all the moulds and tools that went with each machine. They give a rare picture of the hand-frame knitting trade that shaped this part of Leicestershire.
Today the house, frame shop and large garden are run by volunteers as a museum. The Yarn Room serves as reception, small shop and refreshment area, and light refreshments are available in the courtyard.
Highlights
- Master hosier’s house from the late 17th century
- Two-storey Victorian frame shop with eight hand knitting frames
- Moulds and tools left in place since 1951
- Large garden with flowers, shrubs and fruit trees
- Yarn Room with small shop and light refreshments
Permanent exhibition
- Master hosier’s house and frame shop – The preserved house, the Victorian frame shop with its hand knitting frames, moulds and tools, and the garden.
- Founded
- 1989
- Operated by
- Wigston Framework Knitters Museum CIO
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5 |
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| Children & teens | £3Children under 16. |
| Students & apprentices | £3 |
| Families | £12Two adults and up to three children. |
| Garden only (adults) | £2Children under 16 are free for garden-only entry. |
Admission covers the house, garden and frame shop. Members and Friends of the museum are admitted free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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
Visitors enter along a cobbled driveway to the rear of the building. The museum does not publish further accessibility details.
Kids & families
| Family ticket | £12 · Two adults and up to three children. |
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A family ticket is available.
Getting there & parking
The entrance is along a cobbled driveway at the rear of 42–44 Bushloe End.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Light refreshments and homemade cakes are served in the Yarn Room and courtyard, and the Yarn Room also holds a small shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The museum is run by volunteer guides. |
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