Bridewell Museum opened its doors on Tuesday 3 July after an exciting £1.5m redevelopment project to refurbish the building and refresh the displays.
Over the past 700 years The Bridewell has had a colourful and changing history. It has been a home to powerful merchants, a house of correction, a factory, and a museum.
Now this fascinating building has had a major face-lift – including a new entrance and lift, making it more accessible. Our courtyard has also been refurbished, allowing visitors to enjoy what was once a hidden sun trap in the busy city centre.
New displays tell the story of Norwich and its people. We’ve kept the best exhibits and added exciting objects previously kept under-wraps. Highlights include an incredible snake-proof boot, made for nurses in Burma during WWII; a Norwich Speedway bike from the 1960s and the world’s first wire netting machine.
There are a host of new galleries too -Life in Norwich, Our City depicts life from 1900 to the present day, complete with recreated pub and cinema area, where visitors can watch archive films.
Changing City shows key points in Norwich’s history presented in a quirky, ‘do different’ way. See old maps of the city, listen to accounts from past visitors and check out a model of Queen Elizabeth’s visit, in our new discovery drawer unit.
England’s Second City celebrates the time when Norwich was second only to London in size and wealth. The gallery includes a recreated 18th century coffee house where visitors can read documents from the time and try on replica wigs and hats. Suits you, Sir!
Made in Norwich is packed full of artefacts linked to the city’s industrious heritage including a model of the FE 2B plane, a desk from Norwich Corn Hall and an early prototype refrigerator by Boulton and Paul.
Industrious City presents some of the city’s key industries, including Colman’s and Caley’s; and Shoemaking presents a myriad of shoes, exploring the Norwich shoe industry and what it was like to work in the factories. Children can enjoy trying on some more unusual footwear.
Shopping and Trading shows collections from the early 1800s to the 1960s, including hats made by Rumsey Wells, whose premises were once based just round the corner from the museum.
The Pharmacy, the museum’s star exhibit, has had a make-over too with interactives and new touch screen displays. For many, it remains the jewel in the museum’s crown.