Established in 1989 the Brightlingsea Museum reopened in 2020 in new premises after a major project to install new exhibitions and facilities. Prepare to be amazed! This is no quiet museum with glass cases, here information is presented in a variety of formats, precise text, stunning images, a wide range of artefacts, audio visual presentations and a range of interactives, some that will certainly
make you think and contribute to an experience that you will long remember. The significant support of the National Heritage Lottery enabled the Museum to construct exciting and ambitious exhibitions depicting the story of the town’s links with the sea and River Colne. From its unique role as a Limb of the Cinque Ports, the only one north of the Thames, and its support for the nation as a Naval Base, in Tudor times and in both World Wars. Exhibitions reflect how the town developed from a small village to a thriving community where men earnt their living in the shipyards, building vessels that saw service all over the world, or were involved with the ancient oyster trade or stowboating (fishing for sprats), skills that lead them to become highly valued captains and crew members of majestic cruising and racing yachts from Victorian days to the mid twentieth Century. With a programme of temporary exhibitions and activities, together with facilities for research this is indeed a museum you will need and want to make many return visits.
