Wymondham Heritage Museum

About the museum

Wymondham Heritage Museum is housed in the Bridewell, one of the most important historic buildings in the Norfolk market town. A prison stood on the site from the early 17th century, when prisoners were held in the basement of an older house; the first Bridewell dates from 1619. The present building was put up in 1779 as a model prison, following the ideas of the reformer John Howard, and its design later served as a pattern for prisons in England and the United States. It was used as a house of correction, then as a police station and courthouse, before becoming the museum.

The museum is run by the Wymondham Heritage Society, a registered charity, with the help of volunteers. Its permanent displays tell the story of the building itself, including a recreated dungeon in the basement where visitors can imagine the conditions John Howard described, and objects such as prisoners' ankle chains and a pack of playing cards made from Bible pages.

Other galleries look at the wider story of Wymondham. One covers Robert Kett, the local farmer who led a rebellion against landowners in 1549. Another recreates two shops from Victorian and 1930s Wymondham, and further displays show farming life in the 1940s and the town's brushmaking industry, which was a major employer in the 20th century. Changing displays cover subjects such as wartime Wymondham, the American servicemen based nearby and the history of local schools.

The tea room occupies the former exercise yard of the police cells and has a 10-metre well in one corner, and a courtyard garden is open to visitors.

Highlights

• Recreated basement dungeon of the 18th-century model prison
• Display on Robert Kett and the 1549 rebellion
• Victorian and 1930s shops built in the main gallery
• Brushmaking and farming displays
• Tea room in the former prison exercise yard

Permanent exhibitions

• Wymondham Bridewell – The story of the 1779 model prison told through panels, objects and interactive displays, with a recreated dungeon in the basement.
• The Story of Robert Kett – A display on the 1549 rebellion led by the Wymondham farmer Robert Kett and the grievances behind it.
• Window Shopping in Old Wymondham – Two shops built in the main gallery, based on real Wymondham stores, show what people bought in Victorian times and in the 1930s.

Operated by

Wymondham Heritage Society (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

Carers and Museums Association members are admitted free. Friends of the museum (members of the Wymondham Heritage Society) have free admission. The tea room can be visited without paying for the museum.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All galleries and the tea room are accessible except the recreated dungeon in the basement, which is reached by uneven, twisting stairs with no room for a lift. There is an accessible toilet, and guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome. A manual wheelchair can be borrowed if reserved by telephone in opening hours. A small number of Blue Badge spaces in the museum car park can also be reserved by telephone. Visitors with disabilities may bring one companion free.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Children can explore the dungeon, dig for objects in the archaeology corner, use a dressing-up corner and a market stall, follow a children's quiz, turn the crank in a cell, operate a 1960s switchboard, use sensory bags, add a leaf to a model of Kett's Oak, and see a Second World War Anderson shelter and a wishing well.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Norwich Road, a two-minute walk from the Market Cross.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

The tea room serves hot and cold drinks, home-made cakes, scones and snacks, and has free Wi-Fi. The museum shop sells books and pamphlets on Wymondham's history and gifts. A courtyard garden is open to visitors.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

The Bridewell Rooms above the museum, with a separate entrance from Browick Road, can be hired for meetings, classes and similar uses. The larger room has tall windows over the garden; a kitchenette and toilet are available. The rooms are upstairs and there is no car parking at the Bridewell. An art display space in the museum can also be hired.

Plan your visit