Welcome to the Coggeshall Museum Website

The museum itself is now closed and will reopen with new displays in April 2024

Coggeshall's Rich History

  • Historic Buildings

    Coggeshall is blessed with hundreds of fascinating buildings - find out about some of them here.
  • Remarkable People

    Coggeshall has been home to some remarkable characters down the years - find out more about some of them here.
  • Trade and Industry

    Coggeshall grew to prosperity through wool but the town was host to a surprising variety of trades.
  • Family History

    The museum holds a wealth of information for family history researchers.
  • Coggeshall Artists

    Coggeshall has been home to some notable artists over the years
  • Roll of Honour

    For the Coggeshall men who lost their lives in two World Wars
  • Some Museum Exhibits

    A gallery of some of the museum exhibits chosen by our volunteers
  • Gallery

    A selection from our photo collection
  • Our Photo Collection

    A link to our main collection of photos and maps
  • Museum Shop

    Coggeshall items for sale in the museum
  • 1575 Coggeshall Rental

    A map showing all the house plots in Coggeshall and a list showing who lived there in 1575

2023 saw the passing of our museum curator Shirley Ratcliffe. It was Shirley who organised and shaped the museums and created the computer database which details all the items the museum holds. In this she was assisted as ever by her beloved husband Malcolm. There is a tribute to Shirley here Shirley Ratcliffe

Why not volunteer as a museum helper for one afternoon a year?
Meet and greet,  join a great team and learn a little about Coggeshall’s history.
Get in touch via the ‘Contact’ button above, we would love to see you!

The museum has an extensive archive for family history research some of which is available online. Other materials are available in our search room including a good collection of Trade Directories and a wide collection of books and articles relating to Coggeshall.

It is possible to provide access to this resource outside the usual museum opening times –  use the contact button to get in touch.

 

https://coggeshallmuseum.org/app/uploads/2023/08/1944-Air-ViewV4.jpg
Aerial photo of Coggeshall taken by the USAF in January 1944. North is towards the top left. Copy and paste this link for more photos: https://tinyurl.com/5753w94c

Guided Walks

We offer guided walks around Coggeshall for groups of up to 20 people
Please use the ‘Contact us’ tab above for more details.
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Coggeshall Speaks!

Video Joan Joslin who was born in November 1922 recalling times past in Coggeshall.

The recording was made by Steve Williams in 2006 for the Coggeshall Heritage Society.

Why not join the rota of volunteers who assist on museum opening days?

From as little as one afternoon a year you can meet and greet our visitors, become part of the community and learn something about our history as a bonus!


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Download an historic walk around Coggeshall with a map and details of what can be seen; Town Walk

The walk is on paved paths and accessible by wheelchair except for the last three locations on Abbey Lane, which is an unmade road and can difficult especially in wet weather.

If you would like the Map alone to open in another window click this link; Map


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New Exhibit – Coggeshall Abbey.

New to the museum in 2023 is a wonderful model of Coggeshall Abbey created by Ian Stock. Based on the evidence from John Gardner’s research and excavations in the 1950s, it allows us to see how the abbey was laid out and its relationship with the surviving abbey buildings, St Nicholas Chapel and the river.

For the museum opening times click on the ‘About’ tab above and select ‘Visitor Info’ on the drop down list.