Vestry House Museum
Vestry Road
London
Greater London
E17 9NH
England
Website
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/vestry-house
vhm.enquiries@walthamforest.gov.uk
Telephone
020 8496 4391
Fax
020 8527 7070
Only a few minutes walk from Walthamstow's busy shopping centre, Vestry House Museum is wating to unlock the story of the people of Waltham Forest.
The Museum is housed in Walthamstow's original workhouse, built in 1730 as a home for local paupers. In the 19th century the house was used as a police station and one of the old police cells can still be seen. After various uses, the building was converted to a museum in 1930.
The Museum is in the attractive conservation area of Walthamstow Village which has many fine historic buildings and is, itself, well worth a visit.
Venue Type:
Museum, Library, Archive
The Museum now serves as a centre for the collection, preservation and interpretation of the past and present story of the people of Waltham Forest, where visitors can learn about the long and fascinating history of the changing local community. As well as having a large social history collection of objects, the Museum holds approximately 80,000 historic photographs of the Borough, is the home for the Local Studies Library and also houses the Borough Archives.
Collection details
Archaeology, Architecture, Archives, Costume and Textiles, Fine Art, Industry, Land Transport, Law and Order, Personalities, Photography, Science and Technology, Social History, Toys and Hobbies, Trade and Commerce
Key artists and exhibits
- The Museum holds displays on the development of local industry, the history of costume, the history of local policing and Victorian and Edwardian domestic life in Waltham Forest. One particularly unusual exhibit is the Bremer car. Built locally by a young engineer, Frederick Bremer, between 1892 and 1894, it is one of the earliest motor cars built in Britain and is certainly the first car made in London.
- About
- | Collections
- | Map
