The Saffron Walden Museum

 

The museum building itself is a treasure. Built in 1834, by an unknown architect, it must be one of the earliest purpose-built museums; Pevsner calls it Neo-Tudor, but it is a rather curious individual style. Inside is a lovely example of a great local museum; Saffron Walden, of course, being the kind of place where interesting people lived, the museum as a consequence is full of stories of locals, such as Henry Winstanley, who in the 18th century designed the first Eddystone Lighthouse, and was swept away with it in a storm. 

The items shown here are by no means the most important items in the collection, but I don’t think that is the point. As you might expect from a local museum, the objects are often small and fragmentary, none more so than a wonderful alabaster carving from the 15th century, broken in pieces during the Reformation, most likely, and hidden in a cupboard.

There is a lovely Renaissance fireplace designed perhaps by Gabriel Harvey, with details of what look like the labours of the months.

Upstairs there is a costume gallery, with a man’s waistcoat from around 1830, from a lovely silk brocade. Then the usual samplers, children’s dresses, and other memorabilia. What makes this exceptional for a local collection is that some of the early archaeological finds have been reconstructed, such as a wooden chamber in which graves were discovered.

As usual, the china is more memorable for its naivety than for any artistic talent, but enjoyable nonetheless. The museum has a quarterly newsletter, available to take away at the shop, with objects of the month, stories behind the exhibits, and more. There is a rather fond mention of the stuffed elephant that used to be the centrepiece of the collection, and a sad photo of the elephant being carried away on its last journey, who knows where.

Overall, one of the best local museums I have visited. You leave with a feeling that behind those front doors in the historic town there might be any number of historical associations waiting to be teased out.