Bishop's Stortford Museum

Bishop's Stortford Museum FREE to visit; telling the story of Bishop's Stortford from our first settlers through to the modern period.

Children's trails, holiday crafts and lots of amazing facts. We are on the 1st & 2nd floor of South Mill Arts, Bishop’s Stortford, and tell the story of the local community through archaeological, Medieval, Victorian and Edwardian artefacts. We also hold The Cecil Rhodes Collection containing objects relating to Cecil Rhodes, founder of De Beers diamond company, and his links to Africa. The museum

itself is based in the birthplace of Rhodes and houses an authentic Edwardian drawing room as part of its displays. Our ArtSpace also hosts rotating exhibitions PLUS the museum holds frequent workshops for adults and kids alike, lunchtime and evening lectures on a variety of interesting subjects and many more events for visitors.

Please note that the Museum will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday 17th June) 📢-
16/06/2026

Please note that the Museum will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday 17th June) 📢

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80 years ago this very week, George VI sent out this certificate from the Bishop’s Stortford Museum archive to all schoo...
12/06/2026

80 years ago this very week, George VI sent out this certificate from the Bishop’s Stortford Museum archive to all schoolchildren, celebrating the end of the war.

In it, he thanked them for enduring the hardships of the conflict. It noted the pride they would feel in their family members for their contribution to the Allied war victory and invited them to embody such values as they grew older to help establish peace worldwide.

On the reverse is a timeline of WW2, showing a brief overview of the major events of the conflict. This includes dates significant to the British public and the Empire as a whole.

The letter itself is a reminder of the immense sacrifices and hardships endured by the British public. The need to evacuate from cities for children, despite its necessity, would have been devastating for many families.

Written and researched by volunteer Thomas
📖Read more here: https://southmillarts.co.uk/letter-from-george-vi-to-all-school-children/

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Limited Spaces Remaining! 📢Join us for a talk on Roman Stortford next week!The excavations of a large Roman Settlement i...
10/06/2026

Limited Spaces Remaining! 📢

Join us for a talk on Roman Stortford next week!

The excavations of a large Roman Settlement in 1956, 1965-1970 and 2019-2022, which includes some of the recent archaeological finds at Grange Paddocks.

The why, where and how of the settlement in the context of the Roman invasion in 43AD.

🗣Speaker: Tim Howard-Smith
📍South Mill Arts
📆 Tue 16th Jun | 12.30pm | £5
🎫 Tickets: https://southmillarts.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873679765

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These Objects Need Your Help! 📢Our 2026 Museum restoration project ‘Back to life- help us restore’ involves expert resto...
05/06/2026

These Objects Need Your Help! 📢

Our 2026 Museum restoration project ‘Back to life- help us restore’ involves expert restoration of artefacts to secure their future and enhance visitor experiences.

The key initiative is a specialised process that aims to return damaged, aged, or incomplete items to a visually coherent state, often focusing on structural stability.

It involves cleaning, removing failed repairs, and repairing missing parts, guided by minimal intervention and ethical principles.

Out of the many museum artefacts, we have selected a few as examples. Read more about the objects and project here: https://southmillarts.co.uk/2026-museum-restoration-project-back-to-life-help-us-restore/

If you would like to help, please contact the Museum team by emailing [email protected] or call 01279 710 204

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Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin! ☺️Storytime returns on TOMORROW! 📖Giraffes Can't Dance 🦒 Enjoy a story an...
01/06/2026

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin! ☺️

Storytime returns on TOMORROW! 📖

Giraffes Can't Dance 🦒 Enjoy a story and some colouring and craft. Free to join.

📆 Tue 2nd Jun | 10.30am | Ages 2.5 - 5 | Free
🎫 Let us know you're coming: https://southmillarts.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873685724

🏫 Building of the month! 🏫Thomas Heskin Court / The Railway Arms / Inn / HotelThe Railway arrived in Bishop's Stortford ...
27/05/2026

🏫 Building of the month! 🏫

Thomas Heskin Court / The Railway Arms / Inn / Hotel

The Railway arrived in Bishop's Stortford in 1842. Six years later, in 1848, the Railway Arms, on the corner of Station Road and London Road, opened. It had been built by James Patmore. He had previously been a Job Master, running a livery stable on Windhill.

He was offering every accommodation for horses, so a continuation of his earlier occupation as a Job Master. He had in 1844 already taken the extensive stabling occupied for many years by Mr Thomas Heskin, adjacent to the new station, advertising his services to those arriving by train.

Later, in 1887, and by now the Railway Hotel, it appears that the premises were owned by Sir Walter Gilbey. He had accumulated a lot of land in this area, in particular around Warwick Road, which he would go on to develop.

He commissioned a significant extension. The front wall of the original building was rendered with stone dressings at the corner, and extensive stabling was provided in the paddocks across the road.

Read more: https://southmillarts.co.uk/mays-building-of-the-month/

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Get into the shade and catch the sun with some half term crafts starting TODAY!This summer: Catch the sun – make a sunca...
26/05/2026

Get into the shade and catch the sun with some half term crafts starting TODAY!

This summer: Catch the sun – make a suncatcher! ☀️

Drop in between 10 am - 2 pm - Let us know you're coming below - your £2 suggested donation can be paid on the day.

📆 Tue 26th, Wed 27th, & Thu 28th May | Drop in between 10am-2pm | £2 suggested donation | Ages 3 - 11
🎫 Find out more: https://southmillarts.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873684380
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⭐️ OBJECT OF THE MONTH ⭐️- Local History Museum Model and Sign - May is Local History Month, and we are featuring a mode...
23/05/2026

⭐️ OBJECT OF THE MONTH ⭐️

- Local History Museum Model and Sign -

May is Local History Month, and we are featuring a model of Bishop’s Stortford’s previous Local History Museum.

Housed in the Lodge at Stortford’s Old Cemetery- Apton Road, the museum was opened in September 1979 and one of the founders was local resident, Miss Ursula Pye.

Artefacts from her life are displayed on the second floor in our current museum at South Mill Arts.

The museum was closed in 2000 and the sign shown here was placed outside on the main path. The Rhodes Memorial Museum closed at the same time and after five years of refurbishments the two collections merged to became what is now known as the Bishop’s Stortford Museum.

Read more: https://southmillarts.co.uk/mays-object-of-the-month/

You can view this and many other interesting artefacts in our Museum at South Mill Arts.

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Join us next week for some Half-Term Crafts! 🎨This summer: Catch the sun – make a suncatcher! ☀️Drop in between 10 am - ...
19/05/2026

Join us next week for some Half-Term Crafts! 🎨

This summer: Catch the sun – make a suncatcher! ☀️

Drop in between 10 am - 2 pm - Let us know you're coming below - your £2 suggested donation can be paid on the day.

📆 Tue 26th, Wed 27th, & Thu 28th May | Drop in between 10am-2pm | £2 suggested donation | Ages 3 - 11
🎫 Find out more: https://southmillarts.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873684380

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Today, we celebrate International Museum Day! 🥳Started by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), this day aims to ...
18/05/2026

Today, we celebrate International Museum Day! 🥳

Started by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), this day aims to highlight the efforts of important cultural sites.

Our story begins in 1938, when we were opened as the “Cecil Rhodes Memorial Museum,” after the British diamond entrepreneur.

The Bishop’s Stortford Museum and Rhodes’ Arts Complex were officially opened on Friday 11th of November 2005 after the collections merged, including items from Bishop’s Stortford Local History Museum and the Rhodes Memorial Museum, creating the Bishop’s Stortford Museum we know today.

The museum aims to promote knowledge on a variety of areas. Our displays provide an overview of the town’s deep history from prehistoric times to the present day.

📖Read more: https://southmillarts.co.uk/international-museum-day/

Come and visit us at Bishop’s Stortford Museum this International Museum Day!

Our opening hours are 10am-5pm Monday-Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturday.
Written and researched by volunteer Thomas

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Address

Bishops Stortford
CM233JG

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441279710204

Website

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