Vestry House Museum

Name: Vestry House Museum
Address: Vestry Road, London, E179NH, GB
Telephone: +442084964391
Price range: £

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Vestry House Museum

Vestry House Museum, the local history museum for Waltham Forest, London. Vestry House Museum is the local history museum for Waltham Forest.

It houses themed displays that capture the unique heritage of the local area including the famous Bremer Car, a Victorian parlour and displays on local manufacturers including Ensign, Britains and Wells-Brimtoy. Situated in Walthamstow Village, the building was constructed in 1730 to house the parish workhouse. It was later used as a police station, an armoury, a building merchant’s store and a pr

ivate home. In 1931 the building opened to the public as a local history museum. The Museum holds an extensive collection of photographs, artworks and objects that tell the story of Waltham Forest. The museum galleries and the award-winning volunteer-run garden are now temporarily closed in preparation for our revitalisation project. https://vestryhousemuseum.org.uk/vestry-house-revitalisation-project/

The museum is scheduled to reopen in early 2026. Vestry House Museum is owned and operated by the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Photographic Collection
The Museum has an outstanding collection of photographs of Waltham Forest dating back to the 1860s. The collection provides a vivid record of the changing society and local life. By appointment only. Email: [email protected]

05/09/2024

Stuart Freeborn (1914-2013) was born on this day - perhaps best known for his work on the Star Wars films.

An acclaimed motion picture make-up artist, largely self-taught, he was born in Leytonstone. Creator of classic film characters including Yoda, who was based in part on his own face with a touch of Albert Einstein.

You'll have also seen his pioneering approach to make up in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove and a host of other films. He welcomed stars to his make-up chair from Vivien Leigh to Marlene Dietrich, leaving behind a lasting legacy.

George Lucas said of Freeborn, "he brought with him not only decades of experience, but boundless creative energy. His artistry and craftsmanship will live on forever in the characters he created."

His life and career is commemorated with a Waltham Forest blue plaque at his former home in E11.

22/08/2024

We're participating in Open House Festival in September - celebrating architecture and offering a behind the scenes afternoon at the Museum.

Revitalisation project architect's Studio Weave and the Council's Culture team will be on hand to talk you through plans for Vestry House Museum.

Our Grade-II listed building has a long and varied history, originally constructed in 1730 to house the parish workhouse it went through a variety of other uses before opening as Walthamstow Museum in 1931.

The designs will see historic elements of the building refurbished, led by the idea of deep reuse - which emphasises the narrative content of reused buildings as well as their technical performance, aiming to make as few changes as possible.

The plans reuse both historic architectural elements found on site and items from the Museum's Collection within the building’s construction.

📆 Saturday 21 September
👉 Book: https://programme.openhouse.org.uk/listings/2263

21/08/2024

We're excited to announce that the redevelopment plans created by Studio Weave in collaboration with the Council's Culture team have been approved. This means work will commence on the building this Autumn.

Studio Weave's approach was praised for its sensitivity to the historic fabric of the building, whilst ensuring that the site will be much more physically accessible and environmentally sustainable.

What will change?

🍵 The cafe will move to the 'millenium' extension in the garden, and new doors on Church Path will provide additional access to the cafe

🏛️ A new primary entrance to the Museum will be made via the existing historic door

♿ A platform lift and new ramp access will be installed to aid accessibility and provide wheelchair access to the first floor

🧱 Refurbishment of the building and Museum, which will be relocated to the ground-floor and continue to be curated by the Council

🌳 The Gardens will also be upgraded working with Garden Designer Tom Massey - part of Studio Weave's multi-disciplinary team.

12/07/2024

Frederick Bremer was born on this day in 1872. He built one of our most popular collection pieces - the first British four-wheeled motor car with an internal combustion engine, known as the Bremer Car.

Built in a workshop behind his house, he took it out on the roads of his hometown Walthamstow in 1892 one morning for a test drive, around Connaught Road where he lived with his family.

He was only 20 at the time, it wasn't intended as a commercial project, but we presume he built it just to see if he could.

The car will be finding a new temporary home while we are closed for redevelopments, and we're so excited more people will get to discover Frederick Bremer's contributions to British motoring history.

We will be announcing more on this very soon.

06/06/2024

Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. We remember all those who fought for our freedom on 6 June 1944 and those that gave their lives.

Including Army Chaplain 4th Class George Edward Maule Parry. Curate at St John's Church Leytonstone who grew up in Leytonstone.

He lost his life on D-Day, whilst defending wounded men from enemy attack at a medical post, aged 29.

Before the men parachuted into Normandy, Rev Parry led a service:

‘The last ceremony that day was a drumhead service in a meadow near Fairford Airfield by our popular padre, Captain Parry, known to us all as... Percy the Parachuting Parson. Parry was a wiry little Welshman with a nature as fiery as his red hair, and a heart and courage to match.'

From an account by Lt Todd, courtesy of The Pegasus Archive.

17/05/2024

We have news! The Waltham Forest Archives and Local Studies Library have a new home.

The Archives will be relocating to Chingford Assembly Hall in Summer 2024 (the official opening date will be announced closer to the time).

Waltham Forest Archives house collections which can be used to discover more about your family history in Waltham Forest, the history of your house or your street, or to research the lives of past residents who have contributed to the rich and diverse history of Waltham Forest.

Situated in the north of the borough, Chingford Assembly Hall was chosen as the new venue for the Archives after careful analysis, due to its increased space and level access.

We're looking forward to reopening the Archives later this year in a space that is welcoming and accessible to all Waltham Forest residents and to visitors from beyond the borough.

If you're interested in finding out more about the Archives and Local Studies Library head to our website.

📷 Classifying books at Leyton Library, 1950 © Vestry House Museum

16/05/2024

It was the Museum's birthday earlier this month (it's been 93 years since we first opened our doors to the public on 2 May 1931). Back then the Museum was called Walthamstow Museum.

The team took a break from safely packing up the Collection to enjoy some tea and cake in the sun to celebrate.

11/04/2024

We enjoyed having so many of you drop-in to the garden room last month to hear directly from the architects about the revitalisation project, find out more about the proposed plans and leave your feedback on the proposals.

Don't forget we will be hosting another drop-in session this coming Monday 15 April from 6pm to 8pm. Drop-in anytime during the two hours to see and hear about progress on the project and contribute to design decisions.

Please RSVP here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/vestryhousemuseum/vestry-house-museum-heritage-in-the-making/e-oqleqe

18/03/2024

We're opening our doors this weekend and invite you to come and meet the team behind the revitalisation project.

These upcoming drop-in sessions are an opportunity for you to see progress on the project, meet the team and contribute to design decisions regarding the collection, gardens and more.

Drop-in anytime during the time slot. Please be aware that there is limited capacity in the garden room so please book a free ticket, and if we are at capacity you may need to wait.

Saturday 23 March from 11:30am to 1:30pm
Monday 15 April from 6pm to 8pm

The team is looking forward to seeing you!

💌 RSVP here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/vestryhousemuseum/

21/02/2024

Have you met Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji? We're sharing his story in celebration of LGBT History Month.

Born in Chingford in 1892, he was a composer and music critic. He had no formal musical education but went on to compose and play in London, Paris, Vienna, Glasgow, and Bombay.

His keyboard technique was admired as 'fabulous' in the early part of his career and is best known for his piano pieces.

A reluctant performer, he withdrew from the concert world and in the 1930s effected a ban on his music being performed without his express permission. This wasn't to be relaxed until the 1970s.

He spent around the last 35 years of his life in Dorset, with Reginald Norman Best (1909–1988). Sorabji once called him "one of the two people on earth most precious to me".

25/12/2023

From everyone here at Vestry House Museum, we wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

We also want to say a big thank you to all our amazing volunteers and staff, the people who have contributed time and thoughts to our revitalisation project - and of course to everyone who came to visit us in the lead up to Christmas.

We hope your festive season is filled with joy.

📷 Lea Bridge Gas Works Christmas Party, c1945

06/12/2023

Announcement of Temporary Closure: in preparation for our revitalisation project, the museum will be temporarily closing on 23 December 2023 and is scheduled to reopen again in early 2026.

We invite everyone to visit us before the 23 December to see the museum displays, and up to 18 February to see the temporary outdoor installation Small Things are Possibly by Abel Holsborough.

We are also delighted to announce we have appointed architects Studio Weave to work on the revitalisation project. They will be working to transform Vestry House Museum into a welcoming heritage destination where visitors can find a place to work, rest and discover the diverse stories of Waltham Forest and its people.

The garden will remain open to visitors until 18 February 2024.

We are open Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm.

We have prepared answers to some frequently asked questions to provide further information on the revitalisation project. Please head to our website to find out more and read the FAQs:

https://vestryhousemuseum.org.uk/vestry-house-revitalisation-project/

Address

Vestry Road
London
E179NH

Telephone

+442084964391

Website

https://vestryhousemuseum.org.uk/

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Videos

We're so excited to announce that our beloved Bremer Car has a temporary home at @national_motor_museum where it will be on display for a whole new audience to discover Frederick Bremer's contribution to motoring history. It was once again travelling the streets of Walthamstow, this time on its way to Beaulieu. We think Bremer's car - the first British four-wheeled car with an internal combustion engine - deserves recognition and we hope many more people learn more about this piece of local Waltham Forest history. The loan is temporary while we undertake renovations to the building and we will look forward to welcoming it back to Walthamstow when we reopen.

Small but practical - this miniature domino set features pieces less than 1cm in length. #dominoes #miniaturetoy #museumcollection

Welcome back to small things from our Collection - this time we're bringing you this toy hoover which was manufactured right here in E17. Best of all it actually worked, so whilst it would take us a long time to hoover the Vestry floors it gets a 10/10 for functionality. #vintagetoys #localhistory

We're staging a jailbreak! Our prisoner James Wright has been locked up in the Vestry police cell for over 160 years and he's finally going to be freed. We think he's served his time for being 'drunk and disorderly' - after being locked in the cell by Sargent Charles Carpenter in April 1861. Did you know we used to be a police station and prison? (1841-1870) #vestryhousemuseum #walthamstow #museumcollection

Part II of miniature treasures from our Collection. Here's some of the lab equipment that's part of the Baird and Tatlock model laboratory. The detail on the test tubes and beakers is exceptional. #VestryHouseMuseum #miniatureworld

Behind our now closed doors a team of professionals are safely packing up the collection for temporary storage. This week we've been carefully putting away this Baird and Tatlock miniature laboratory - did you know they were once manufactured here in Walthamstow? This model lab, which we suspect was once a working model, was likely made before WWII for trade exhibitions and was presented to Vestry House Museum in 1961. Stay tuned as we share more of the journey with you. #localhistory #miniature #museum #museumcollection