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Woolpit Village Museum

Woolpit Museum located on the upper floor of this 17th century cottage.
Entry via the building to the left.

In the mid 1970’s several members of the Woolpit History Group started field walking
around the Parish.
After seven years they had accumulated quite a haul of Roman and Medieval Pottery and had confirmed twelve sites where there may have been settlements.

In 1985 it was decided that these finds should be put on display and this became the foundation of The Woolpit Museum.

Due to its size (allegedly the smallest museum in Suffolk) it was decided that displays would be changed annually.

There was one notable exemption, that being our famous Woolpit Brickmaking Display which includes a 3D model of the original site, a collection of Woolpit Bricks, photographs of the brick workers and a new booklet “The History of the Brickworks”, which you can buy in the shop .There is also a permanent re-construction of part of a Victorian Kitchen.

Some twenty four years later we have produced and displayed around sixty five different topics, all of which have shown how our village has evolved over the years.

This year the Brick display has been further enhanced. The Model of the Village returns. This time showing where some of the local Tradesmen and their Workshops were once situated.

We have this year re-introduced a display featuring the men who died in the 1st World War and appear on our war memorial, as we felt it is relevant at this time.

Hopefully, when our research is complete, visitors will be able to see, in much more detail,
how the village centre has developed and changed over the centuries.

Model of brickworks site	The museum roof

We are open Saturdays/Sundays and Bank Holidays 2.30 till 5pm

This year we open on April 3rd and close September 26th.

Admission is FREE

There is a chair lift available.
Toilets, including one for the disabled.

There is a car park opposite the church and on street parking.

Refreshments are nearby and an area for picnics.

We can open by appointment at other times, see contact names below.

We also have information available for those doing their Family Trees. Census’s,......DATES?
Kellys and White WHAT IS THAT?? copies of other people’s Family Tree, Wills and Village Memories.

Talks and village tours can also be arranged by appointment.
The Village Centre (a conservation area), St Mary’s Church and Ladyswell (both part of the Pilgrim’s route.) and the Site of brickworks, are always places of interest. Tours can last from one to three hours over easy ground.

The museum can offer some research papers for those doing their family tree on people who
lived in Woolpit

Coach parties by prior arrangement, tea and coffee can be provided.

And finally the most asked question asked by our visitors, “how did Woolpit get its name?”
You will find most guide books get it wrong. We know the Answer!

Look forward to seeing you.
Contact EITHER: john.wiley@woolpit.org  or barbara.keeling@woolpit.org