Village Website
In the mid 1980s Woolpit History Group started field-walking throughout the parish. After several years three Roman sites and eight Medieval sites had been found and confirmed. In 1983 the Parish Council asked if it would be feasible to display the group’s findings and a store-room on the upper floor of the Woolpit Institute was made available. Thus the Woolpit and District Museum was begun.
Opening times for 2026
The museum is open every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from April until the end of October, 2pm to 4.30pm. We are also open every Wednesday in August from 1pm to 3.30pm. Admission is free.
Our first opening in 2026 is Saturday 4th April.
Please note that we are now staying open until the end of October. We are also happy to open at other times by appointment. Email enquiries@woolpitmuseum.org.uk for more information.
Displays
New for this year is an extended display about the Green Children of Woolpit as so many visitors are interested in the legend. We also have a new display about wolves as a wolf features on the village sign alongside the church and two green figures. We have retained our display of photographs mostly showing the village in the early years of the 20th century but have changed some of them following a recent donation from a descendant of Harry Buckly who was headmaster of Woolpit school from the early 1890s until 1924. The display of artefacts discovered by field walkers in the 1980s has also been retained.
The roof trusses inside the museum
The brickworks display continues to fascinate visitors, and we are currently cleaning and refreshing the brickworks model.
Model of Brickworks
Our other permanent display, the Victorian Kitchen, also prompts a lot of interest. We now have a tea set dated Xmas 1897 which is displayed alongside two teapots, also dated 1897, and produced by local grocers Mason and Co to celebrate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, as well an old kitchen range and various contemporary utensils.
The biographies of the six local men who lost their lives in World War Two are displayed alongside the original war memorial board and new for this year is an updated booklet about Woolpit's 25 First World War casualties.
Our Shop
The booklet is on sale in our small 'shop' which now includes souvenirs such as coasters, place mats, key rings, fridge magnets, pens and rulers, all showing the centre of the village and designed by the late Anne Wilding who was a great supporter of the museum. We also have a range of booklets about Woolpit, postcards and an updated village centre walk leaflet.
