Museums

Along the Nene Valley there are some amazing museums with significant and interesting collections. Many of these attractions offer a rolling programme of exhibitions and events so please check their links for up to date information.

78 Derngate

The house was remodelled by the world-famous designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh in his iconic Modernist style. The gallery upstairs is free to enter and has a series of exhibitions throughout the year. The dining room and the in-house boutique restaurant offers a full range of delicious contemporary cuisine. From a coffee to a light lunch, full afternoon tea or a delicious meal – The Dining Room is sure to delight.

📌 82 Derngate, Northampton, NN1 1UH

📞 01604 603407

✉ info@78derngate.org.uk

Abington Park Museum

Learn about the history of the Northamptonshire Regiment & Yeomanry and about how we used to live. Discover more about historic and contemporary leather design.

📌 Park Avenue South, Northampton, NN1 5LW

📞 01604 838110

Earls Barton Museum

Take a stroll through Jeyes Jetty and up the stairs where you will find our collection of quaint and quirky exhibitions.

📌 26-28 The Square, Earls Barton, Northampton, NN6 0NA

📞 01604 810289

Flag Fen

Flag Fen is famous for being the site of an ancient bronze age causeway, discovered by Time Team’s Francis Pryor. At Flag Fen, you can discover what life was like for our prehistoric ancestors in a reconstructed Bronze Age village. Developed about 3500 years ago, consisting of more than 60,000 timbers arranged in five very long rows, creating a wooden causeway across the wet fenland.

📌 The Droveway, Peterborough. PE6 7QJ

📞 01733 864468

Focus On Thrapston Heritage

Thrapston, together with its surrounding district, has a long history dating back to the Iron Age. This website will, over time, contain information in pictures, maps, photographs, articles etc. for you to read at your leisure.

John Clare Cottage and Garden

Tucked away between Stamford and Peterborough lies the village of Helpston, the home of John Clare (1793-1864). Widely regarded as one of the greatest of the English poets, John Clare lived in the village for his first forty years from 1793 until 1832.

📌 Clare Cottage, 12 Woodgate, Helpston, PE6 7ED

📞 01733 253330

✉ info@clarecottage.org

National Leather Collection

The National Leather Collection was founded as the Museum of Leather Craft in London 1946. With the combined support of Industry and the London Livery Companies, we care for one of the largest collection of items and information relating to Leather in the world. Now based in the heart of the UK’s leather and footwear industry, Northampton, we are delighted to be sharing our treasures with the public once again.

📌 The Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Northampton, NN1 2EW

📞 01604 745681

✉ info@nationalleathercollection.org

Oundle Museum

Oundle Museum is an award-winning accredited museum with displays about our history from prehistoric to modern times including many exhibits from Roman, Saxon and Medieval periods. Next to the permanent display gallery there is an exhibition room which changes each year.

📌 The Courthouse, Mill Road, Oundle, PE8 4BW

📞 01832 272741

✉ Oundle.museum@googlemail.com

Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery

Located in one of the city’s most historic buildings, Peterborough Museum has a wealth of stories to fascinate and enthral the whole family.With amazing objects and interactive displays for all ages, the collections comprise over 200,000 items of great national and international importance. Our art gallery hosts an exciting programme of changing temporary exhibitions from local to internationally renowned artists.

📌 Peterborough Museum, Priestgate, Peterborough, PE1 1LF

📞 01733 864 663

Phipps’ Albion Brewery

The 1884 Albion Brewery was restored in 2014 and now produces a wide range of heritage ales and stout as well as distilling artisan gins. The working brewery can be viewed from the bar from Tuesday to Sunday with longer brewery tours available at set times.

📌 54 Kingswell St. Northampton, NN1 1PR.

📞 01604 946606

✉ contact@phipps-nbc.co.uk

Rushden Museum

Situated in the grounds of the beautiful Hall Park the museum houses the ‘Hearts and Soles’ – the I.T. kiosk where the archived history of the town can be seen at the touch of a button.

📌 The Old Stable Block, Hall Avenue, Rushden, Northants, NN10 9EP

📞 01933 317261

✉ Rushdenmuseum@aol.com

Rushden Transport Museum

Rushden Transport Museum is situated in the old Midland Railway Station of 1894 which once formed part of the Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers branch line. Taken over by the Rushden Historical Transport Society in 1984 the station also provides the society with a social club.

📌 Station Approach, Rushden, NN10 0AW

📞 01933 318 988

✉ museum@rhts.co.uk

The Prebendal Manor and Tithe Barn Museum

The Grade I listed Prebendal Manor House is the earliest surviving dwelling in Northamptonshire. A visit to this award winning manor includes the Tithe Barn museum, a dovecote exhibition, and the largest re-created medieval gardens in Europe.

📌 Nassington, near Peterborough, PE8 6QG

📞 01780 782575

✉ info@prebendal-manor.co.uk

Wellingborough Museum

The collection dates back to 1987 when the Wellingborough Civic Society set up the Heritage Centre in Croyland Hall. Explore over 40,000 catalogued items all relating to the history of Wellingborough and the surrounding villages. The Wellingborough Museum is housed within the historic Dulley’s Baths building built by David Dulley in 1892. George Cox, who had worked for the brewery, bought the building and converted it into a shoe factory in 1919. It remained a shoe factory until 1994, when Cox’s moved to larger premises.

📌 12 Castle Way, Wellingborough, NN8 1XB

📞 01933 276838

✉ wellingboroughmuseum@msn.com

Wollaston Museum

Wollaston Museum is tucked away but well worth exploring! We have the local history museum itself, Curiosity Cottage which is set up as it would have been in the early 20th century and “a little gem”, plus Beacon Hill, an English Heritage motte and bailey castle mound.

📌 102 High Street, Wollaston, Northamptonshire, NN29 7RJ