Cromwell Museum
A free museum in Huntingdon's former grammar school, where Oliver Cromwell studied, showing his hat, swords, portraits and personal belongings.
Alleen afzonderlijke secties laten voorlezen
Over het museum
The Cromwell Museum stands in the surviving west end of the infirmary hall of the medieval Hospital of St John the Baptist, a building dating from about 1170 to 1190. The Augustinian canons who ran the hospital offered some medical treatment and overnight lodging to pilgrims and travellers. The building survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and by 1565 it had been fitted out as the town's grammar school, with lodgings for the schoolmaster on an upper floor.
Oliver Cromwell attended the school between 1610 and 1616, and the diarist Samuel Pepys was a pupil there from about 1642 to 1644. The building remained a grammar school until the 1930s and was used again as a classroom for evacuees in the Second World War. In 1958 an exhibition at Huntingdon Town Hall marked the 300th anniversary of Cromwell's death, and its success led local councils and the Cromwell Association to create a permanent museum. The Cromwell Museum opened in the old school building in 1962.
Today the museum is run by an independent charity, the Cromwell Museum Trust, and holds over 800 items, which it describes as the best collection about Cromwell on public display anywhere in the world. They include portraits by artists such as Peter Lely, Robert Walker and Samuel Cooper, arms and armour from the English Civil War including several of Cromwell's swords, and personal items such as his hat, gunpowder flask, medicine chest and a Florentine perfume cabinet. The museum aims to present Cromwell's life and legacy neutrally, 'warts and all', and also holds a collection of modern cartoons and drawings about him.
Hoogtepunten
- Hat believed to have belonged to Oliver Cromwell, with a replica to try on
- Portraits including the 'warts and all' portrait by Peter Lely
- Arms and armour from the Civil Wars, including several of Cromwell's swords
- Personal items such as his gunpowder flask and medicine chest
- Florentine perfume cabinet, a diplomatic gift
- Housed in the grammar school where Cromwell and Samuel Pepys studied
Vaste collectie
- The life and times of Oliver Cromwell – Displays on Cromwell's schooldays, early life in Huntingdon and St Ives, military career, personal possessions and lasting legacy, with portraits, arms and armour; exhibits are changed from time to time.
- Opgericht
- 1962
- Beheerder
- Cromwell Museum Trust
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
De toegang is gratis.
Admission is free. As an independent charity the museum encourages donations towards its running costs.
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift: geen informatie
- Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
The museum is accessible to wheelchairs, buggies and prams, but not to large mobility scooters. The interior is flat, without steps, and seating is available. Large-print introductory guides are available from the steward on duty, and handling sessions for visitors with visual impairments can be arranged in advance. A visual story is available to help visitors plan a visit.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
- Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
- Doe- en voelstations
- Kinderwagenvriendelijk
The museum has trails and activities for younger visitors, with replica items and costumes to handle and try on, including a replica of Cromwell's hat. The interior is flat and suitable for buggies and prams.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Huntingdon railway station · 10 min. lopen
Huntingdon railway station, on the East Coast main line, is less than 10 minutes' walk away, with regular trains from Peterborough (14 minutes) and London King's Cross (55 minutes). Huntingdon bus station, a couple of minutes' walk, has local buses and the Guided Busway link to central Cambridge.
Met de auto
Parkeerplaats aanwezig
The closest car park is on St. Germain Street, just behind the museum; the multi-storey car park by Sainsbury's has electric vehicle charging points on the first floor.
The museum is in the town centre just off the market square, across from the Town Hall and All Saints' Church. Huntingdon is just off the A1 and A14 junction, midway between Cambridge and Peterborough. Bicycle racks are outside the museum on Grammar School Walk.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Museumwinkel
The small gift counter sells books, souvenirs and gifts about Cromwell, the 17th century and the collections, with payment by cash or card; there is also an online shop.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.
Je bezoek plannen
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
|---|---|
| Goed om te weten | Workshops, tours and activities for school and group visits can be booked in person, at the school or online; groups may visit during or outside opening hours by arrangement. |
