Ancient House Museum

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Ancient House Museum Ancient House is a museum of Thetford Life housed in a Tudor timber-framed building dated about 1490.

The charming black and white building known as the Ancient House is among the principal attractions of the town of Thetford in Norfolk. Indeed, it probably ranks as one of the best examples of an early Tudor town house in East Anglia.

Happy ! This fossil sea urchin is on a flint pedestal skilfully knapped to shape.
14/10/2026

Happy !
This fossil sea urchin is on a flint pedestal skilfully knapped to shape.

It's National Farmers' Day! This is a photograph of a team of horses on a Thetford Farm, during harvest time. We think t...
12/10/2026

It's National Farmers' Day!
This is a photograph of a team of horses on a Thetford Farm, during harvest time.
We think the machine is a self binder which cut and tied sheaves of grain so they could be stacked prior to threshing through a drum.

This image is from a small album of photographs of farm life in 1929.

in 1897 The Royal Automobile Club (RAC) was founded.To celebrate check out this Thetford Motor Club badge from about 1...
10/10/2026

in 1897 The Royal Automobile Club (RAC) was founded.

To celebrate check out this Thetford Motor Club badge from about 1968. It has a light blue face and steering wheel design, and crown above 'R' motif above.
The Thetford Motor Club was formed in May 1922. The Bury Free Press on Saturday 13 May 1922 reported that the Mayor J G Brown presided over the first meeting of the Club stating that the intension of the Club was the encouragement of motorists and that the club would endeavour to appeal to both “the competition rider and the tourist”. Just a month later the same newspaper carried a report on Saturday 17 June 1922 of the Club running slow hillclimbing and acceleration tests. Mr W J Boughton was the winner of the slow climb class for cars. He covered the distance in one minute. On Friday 9 March 1923 two hundred people enjoyed a Motor Club carnival held at the Guildhall. The Thetford Amateur String Band provided music and Messrs H Hawes, A R Miller, Shorter, E C Lambert, Mrs Edmonds, Miss Edmonds and Miss Edwards performed a sketch portraying a modern motorist’s troubles.

During the 1960s the Club organised car rallies. One of the organisers George Angus recalled: “I belonged to Thetford Town Motor Car Club, we enjoyed rallies all over the place. In 1968 along with Val Sw***er I won six trophies over the year. I was the navigator. Our head quarters were at The Red Lion. We had some really good times in some hairy cars in those days. Unfortunately we had a few accidents so insurance costs, fuel and regulations put paid to the club in the end.”

in 1863 Sir John Login, guardian of Maharajah Duleep Singh, died. The Maharajah wept with emotion and mourned at the f...
10/10/2026

in 1863 Sir John Login, guardian of Maharajah Duleep Singh, died. The Maharajah wept with emotion and mourned at the funeral and said: “I have lost my father”. Duleep Singh wanted him buried at Elveden but Lady Login had him buried in Felixstowe.

in 1903 the Women’s Social and Political Union founded by Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst at her home in Manchester. Princess S...
10/10/2026

in 1903 the Women’s Social and Political Union founded by Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst at her home in Manchester. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a member of the group.

It's National ! In "The Newmarket, Bury, Thetford and Cromer Road" (1909) Charles Harper record that in 1782, 63 year ...
07/10/2026

It's National !
In "The Newmarket, Bury, Thetford and Cromer Road" (1909) Charles Harper record that in 1782, 63 year old “Robert Bartley, of Thetford” walked 81 miles to London in 24 hours, and then walked back the following day! We spotted this illustration too

Happy ! Ancient House probably ranks as one of the best examples of an early Tudor town house in East Anglia. It exists...
05/10/2026

Happy !
Ancient House probably ranks as one of the best examples of an early Tudor town house in East Anglia. It exists as a museum thanks to the generous donation of Prince Frederick Duleep Singh.

Address

21-23 White Hart Street
Thetford
IP241AA

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+441842752599

Website

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