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Bakewell Old House Museum

Explore Bakewell’s oldest house: a Tudor home turned lively local history museum, packed with stories, trails, and quirky details for all ages.

4.7

Step into a 16th-century Tudor home in the heart of Bakewell, transformed into a lively local history museum. Explore rooms filled with period artefacts, children’s trails, dressing-up costumes, and stories of tax collectors, mill workers, and Victorian families. The building itself – with its garderobe, original beams, and layered history – is the star. Great for families, history lovers, and anyone wanting a quirky, hands-on peek into Peak District life across the centuries.

A brief summary to Bakewell Old House Museum

  • Cunningham Pl, Bakewell, DE45 1DD, GB
  • +441629813642
  • Visit website
  • Duration: 1 to 2 hours
  • Budget
  • Environment icon Mixed
  • Mobile reception: 4 out of 5
  • Monday 11 am-4 pm
  • Tuesday 11 am-4 pm
  • Wednesday 11 am-4 pm
  • Thursday 11 am-4 pm
  • Friday 11 am-4 pm
  • Saturday 11 am-4 pm
  • Sunday 11 am-4 pm

Local tips

  • Visit on a weekday morning to avoid the busiest crowds and enjoy a more peaceful exploration of the house and exhibits.
  • Bring a small dog if you have one – the museum is dog-friendly, though they may be restricted during school group visits.
  • Pick up one of the children’s trails (Rat Trail, scavenger hunt or Journey with George) – they’re fun for kids and a great way to engage with the exhibits.
  • Check the museum’s website before your visit for details of special events, workshops and temporary exhibitions that might be on during your stay.
  • Wear comfortable shoes – the museum is up a short but steep hill from the town centre, accessed through the churchyard.
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Getting There

  • On foot from Bakewell town centre

    From the centre of Bakewell, follow signs towards All Saints Church and the churchyard. The museum is a short but steep walk uphill from the town, accessed via a path through the churchyard. Allow about 5–10 minutes on foot; wear comfortable shoes as the path is cobbled and uneven in places.

  • By bus

    Take the Transpeak TP3 bus from Matlock, Buxton or Sheffield and alight in Bakewell town centre. From there, follow signs to Rutland Square and All Saints Church, then walk up the path through the churchyard to the museum. The walk from the main bus stops takes roughly 10 minutes.

  • By car

    Drive to Bakewell and follow signs to town centre car parks. From there, walk to Rutland Square and All Saints Church, then follow the path through the churchyard up to the museum. There is very limited on-site parking; booking in advance is recommended if you require a space.

Bakewell Old House Museum location weather suitability

  • Weather icon Any Weather
  • Weather icon Rain / Wet Weather
  • Weather icon Mild Temperatures

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Discover more about Bakewell Old House Museum

A Tudor Home with Many Lives

Tucked away in Cunningham Place, Bakewell Old House Museum occupies one of the town’s oldest buildings, a timber-framed house dating back to the reign of Henry VIII. Originally built as a tax collector’s cottage, it later grew into a gentleman’s residence in Elizabethan times, complete with a garderobe (Tudor toilet) and exposed beams. Over the centuries, it served as mill workers’ housing for Sir Richard Arkwright’s cotton mill and later as a home for Victorian families like the Pitts. Walking through its rooms, you feel the weight of these overlapping lives, from Tudor tax records to Victorian toys and industrial-era tools.

Stories in Every Corner

The museum’s charm lies in its intimate, personal collections. Artefacts found sealed in walls, ceramics, textiles, costumes, cameras, and toys have been donated by local families over decades, each with a story tied to Bakewell and the surrounding Peak District. Interactive displays and QR codes bring these objects to life, explaining how they were used and who might have owned them. Changing social history exhibitions keep the narrative fresh, exploring everything from local trades and domestic life to quirky local characters like Philus the Bakewell elephant.

A Museum That Welcomes Families

Children are very much part of the experience here. The popular Rat Trail guides young visitors from room to room, with ratty facts and puzzles to solve. There are dressing-up costumes, a Victorian dolls’ house, old-fashioned board games, and traditional outdoor games in the courtyard. Free colouring sheets and occasional craft activities add to the fun, while themed trails like the scavenger hunt and ‘Journey with George’ offer a choose-your-own-adventure style of exploration. Completing a trail often earns a special pin badge, making it a rewarding visit for little ones.

Quirky, Hands-On and Dog-Friendly

This is not a hushed, formal museum. It’s a friendly, slightly quirky space where visitors are encouraged to touch, play, and imagine. The Tudor toilet and Victorian privy are particular highlights, offering a tangible sense of how people lived centuries ago. The museum is also dog-friendly (with some restrictions during school visits), and it participates in the Derbyshire Day Out discount scheme, giving ticket holders reduced entry to other local museums. Whether you’re a local revisiting childhood memories or a visitor discovering Bakewell for the first time, the Old House feels like stepping into a well-loved, slightly eccentric family home.

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