Coggeshall Museum opened in 1990 in an annex to St. Peter’s Hall (now the Village Hall) in Stoneham Street. The hall itself was formerly one of Coggeshall’s breweries but since the 1920s has been a focus for many of Coggeshall’s community activities. During the Second World War the hall provided a place to relax for the many servicemen of all nationalities who were stationed at the airfields that surrounded this small Essex town. The museum was established in what had been the kitchen which formerly provided meals for the nearby primary school.
Our museum was established by enthusiastic band of volunteers to conserve and celebrate the cultural, industrial and agricultural history of Coggeshall. It is administered by a committee and run by volunteers.
If you would like to keep in touch with what is going on at the museum, you can become a ‘Friend’ – use the contact button to get in touch. If you would like to get more involved and join the rota of volunteers who assist visitors on opening days, again contact us using the link at the top of the page.
The memorabilia on show has been loaned or donated by local people and some of the exhibits change from year to year, so there is always something new to see.
The museum has no set admission charge, but donations are always very welcome to help offset running costs and improve the standard of the exhibitions. It is hoped that visitors to the museum, whether from Coggeshall itself or from further afield, will find something of interest in their look at Coggeshall’s past and, above all, will enjoy their visit and come and see us again.
A free town walk leaflet is available in the museum as well as a variety of other leaflets about the visitor attractions in the surrounding area. There are cafes, restaurants and pubs in Coggeshall as well as attractive areas to picnic.