Welcome to Saxmundham Museum

Book Launch Day!

Today, Saturday 23rd, 10am 'til 1pm, at the Museum.

Book Launch

An exciting moment for the Museum as we've published a pictorial story of reminiscences and history of Saxmundham. The book is currently available for pre-launch orders.

If you would like a copy either contact the Museum directly via book@saxmundhammuseum.org.uk or go into Crisp's on the High Street.

We will be holding a book launch event on 23rd October 10am 'til 1pm.

We'd like to invite everyone along but we strongly advise that if you haven't been vaccinated against Covid-19 you need to wear a face covering while in the Museum. We still need to keep everyone safe.

AGM

Saxmundham Museum’s Annual General Meeting will be held this year at the Museum, on Monday, 8th November, at 7pm.

As seating will be limited, we will attempt to keep the meeting as short as possible.

COVID-19: If you haven’t been vaccinated, please help to keep everyone safe by wearing a face covering in the Museum.

2021, What a season that was!

We are now closed for Winter but hope that we can resume our usual re-opening in April 2022.

The support we've had from volunteers, visitors and donations has been wonderful and makes us feel that all the hard work we put in last year and this year to have the Museum open has been worthwhile.
We navigated the pandemic advice, recorded no incidents, and received some lovely feedback.

The number of visitors we had this year has been amazing.

Thank you everyone!

National Lottery Heritage Fund and local councils and councillors

We'd like to thank the National Lottery Heritage Fund and our local councils and councillors for their support during the last few difficult months.

Lockdown Memories

Saxmundham Museum is asking everyone in the town to share their memories of the coronavirus lockdown so it can compile an archive for future generations.

“This is one of the most extraordinary years any of us will ever know” says Richard Crisp. “It’s important to make a record of what lockdown was really like in Saxmundham and the surrounding villages. This will become an invaluable archive for future generations.”

Please share your memories of this year and how the pandemic has affected you, your family, neighbours and friends. You can write down your lockdown memories on paper or e-mail. We welcome photos that you may have taken during lockdown, perhaps you had a birthday or shared food and support with neighbours.

You can send anything you would like to be included to Saxmundham Museum, 49 High St, Saxmundham IP17 1AJ or e-mail info@saxmundhammuseum.org.uk

Benjamin Britten & Peter Pears

Britten Pears Arts has an extensive archive available to view at the Red House and also online.

They have kindly allowed us access to their collection, particularly concerning the invoices and receipts from Saxmundham businesses.

This gives us an insight into how many local businesses provided services to Britten and Pears but also most are no longer trading.

Two that are still here include H. G. Crisp and Flick & son, although both now under different ownership.

One particular story that comes out concerns Benjamin Britten's ownership of a 1957 Jensen interceptor covertable. Car dealers Smith and Wesby undertook several works on the car to fix rain water ingress and a petrol leak. By 1960 Britten had obviously grown tired of all the repair work and traded-in the Jensen for a Mercedes instead!

Who remembers the local vets as "Downie & Fishwick", later to become "Fishwick, Hill and Button"?

We have a display which you can preview here.

About the Museum

We are in the heart of rural Suffolk, recording and preserving the history of Saxmundham, Kelsale-cum-Carlton and Benhall.

The Museum was opened in 2004 by special guest Peter Purves.

Strada Cars

Launched at the 1974 Car Show, the company folded in 1975 but what's the story behind Saxmundham's very own sports car manufacturer?

Come and find out.

Jenny Toombs

Jennifer (Jenny) Toombs was an internationally acclaimed artist, famous for her hand-drawn stamps and first-day covers which were issued in over 50 countries.

She lived in Benhall for many years but suddenly and peacefully passed away at home on April 2, 2018.

We have a tribute to this much loved and missed lady.

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