Brightlingsea Museum

We are now closed until our new exhibitions are fully ready for all to see in 2020.

Opened in 1989 the museum has displays relating to the town’s history, from the Bronze Age, onto artefacts from a local Roman Villa, possibly one of the first river-side taverns. It explores the town’s connections with the Confederation of Cinque Ports in Medieval times, the only member north of the Thames.

From the mid-nineteenth century the town rapidly developed. Traditional occupations – fishing and the oyster trade expanded, especially after the building of the railway, connecting this coastal town to the London markets. Shipbuilding became a major source of employment, the local yards building vessels until the 1980s that went all over the world. The Museum recognises the importance of these industries and they are all represented in displays, featuring a wide selection of photographs, artefacts and memorabilia.

The museum is more than static displays, it is an active and progressive organisation; there are children’s activities, a programme of events, resources for research, and a warm welcome for everyone