WELCOME TO INGATESTONE MUSEUM Gatekeeper's Cottage Station Lane
Charity No. 1193922
Patron Lord Petre
visit INGATESTONE mUSEUM
Come and visit your community museum and find out about the history of the Parish. See the Roman tiles, find out about the stagecoach and railway eras and discover how people used to live. Look for some of the many events in the history of Ingatestone and Fryerning on the timeline -from the stones onwards. Follow the trail of Ruffles the Railway Cat. Free entry - although donations are always welcome!
Come and see our first art display in the entry room, by Ingatestone Meet and Paint Group, showing our local historical buildings -it will only be here until December 13th. as there will be a new display in January so catch it before it goes!
Check here for opening times. Groups please email for an appointment to visit.
OPEN
Friday 5th December 10-12
Saturday 6th December Closed
Friday 12th December 10-12
Saturday 13th December 10-12
PARKING NCP car park , machine by station.
Christmas/New Year closure December 14th and opening Friday !6th January 2026 10-12.
Photo: Meet and Greet Group Heritage Trail art work
Visiting the Museum
Your Visit -Inside the Museum
Entrance Room
The entrance room, originally the kitchen, is the welcome point, with a video showing how life has changed in the parish, based on the work of the late David Abrey. There are research materials, books and scanned documents for anyone interested in finding out more about the area. Come and see the changing display of local art and photographic works and a permanent display of how our museum came about.
Main Room
The main room was the living room. Discover local artefacts from the Romans on and see the changing display board here, presently showing the history of Ingatestone and the Railway and find out how people used to live and work here in the past and the life of the Gatekeeper's Cottage.
Back Room
The back room was the bedroom. Here find the scene around the fireplace of life in the late 1950s -when the cottage was last inhabited. The rail diorama -beautifully produced by the Mid Essex Model Railway Club- also shows Ingatestone Station as it would have been in the late 50s. Find out here about the importance of the stagecoach and see the display of our postal heritage, from the days of The Spread Eagle Posting House in the 1870s..
DISPLAYS- STILL SEARCHING FOR:
Cartwheel, 1950s wireless , old pastry brushes for dig trays, information on schools in the parish
Photo: Diorama of Ingatestone Station in the 1950s
'Welcome' Volunteers for the Museum
'Welcome' Volunteers.
Ingatestone Museum is volunteer run and operated and many volunteers have helped us along our journey. The Museum hopes to be open to the public on Friday and Saturday mornings, 10-12 noon, excluding public holiday weekends, and we have two 'welcome' volunteers to greet you. Volunteers choose which sessions suit them and are given full training in the role and there are always two volunteers at any time in the museum.
If you would be interested, or would like any further details, please email imt.secretary1@gmail.com
Photo: Volunteers on display unit assembly day.
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