Bakewell Old House Museum

A lovely little museum based in a Tudor house which was formerly transformed into mill workers cottages. The staff were very friendly, and when we visited there was a Halloween trail. It was a murder mystery theme, and a lot of fun. The one downside was that we spent a lot of time focussing on that and not the museum exhibits! One bonus is that the tickets are valid for 12 months, so we could go again and see it in the original state. The tickets also offer discount on several other local attractions, so I think it's well worth the entry fee.

This little museum, hidden behind All Saints Church, is very easy to miss! It took me about 10 minutes to walk here from the town centre, up a steep hill and through the churchyard, but it was well worth the effort. It's in a well preserved 2-storey Tudor house, reached through a cobbled courtyard. I paid £7.50 for an adult ticket (it's £4.50 for a child), valid for a year. The lady at the welcome desk was enthusiastic and friendly, explaining the museum's layout and what there was to see. It took me about an hour and a half to see it all. The self guided tour began with a short video outlining the house's history as a Tudor tithe collector's home and, much later, accommodation for Victorian mill workers. You get to see what it was like to live here in both these eras as you walk around. The downstairs rooms still have original features like oak beams and old stone fireplaces, and some of the furniture is also original. Lots of domestic artefacts, and a wealth of information to read. There's so much of interest to see upstairs, from antique cameras to Victorian toys, and WW2 memorabilia to home remedies for numerous ailments, and lots of stories too, including how Bakewell pudding was invented. There were plenty of activities for children, including a rat trail to follow, and a small gift shop and toilets at the entrance. A fascinating glimpse into Bakewell's history, which I'm glad I didn't miss!

We wandered up to this museum on recommendation from a lady who was volunteering at one of the charity shops in town. She knew we enjoyed embroidery and thought we'd appreciate the historical pieces, as well as recently stitched items the local embroidery club had done to complement items in the museum collection. What a fantastic collaboration! We found the museum to be worth every bit of the entrance fee and had no wait to start our tour with one of the knowledgeable docents. Coming from the United States it was very interesting to see 500 years of history represented in one building and collection. The vignettes were meticulously curated and displayed. We practically had the building to ourselves and spent quite a bit of time looking around. We could easily have spent more time and remarked amongst ourselves that this would be a valuable school or family trip for all ages. Thank you to the two docents!

Great old-fashioned museum . Gorgeous building of course .some of t he displays matched the building but altogether enjoyable

What a treat this was. Wandered up to get a better view of the town and then started following signs to the museum, had the dog with me so thought I’d only be able to take a look from the outside, but they allowed dogs! Got a great intro to the place and the two ladies at the ticket office were a delight. Would recommend to anyone visiting Bakewell.

Great little locally run museum. Lots to see and well worth the £7.50. Originally a 1534 house belonging to a tax collecter. Later Richard Arkwright took over the buildings, installed a water mill and brought in 6 families to work . The house was inhabited by different families until 1950s but was deemed insanitary. Eventually restored by Bakewell Heritage . Lots of very interesting things to see.

Visited Bakewell many many times from Glossop but never been to the museum. So glad we went today. It's a fascinating place with so much history and full of interesting exhibits. We were given a brief history of the Tudor building on arrival. Well worth the £6.50 entrance fee. And worth the long steep walk up to it. Although you can drive. John & Jane Parkin. The church is also a very interesting place to visit just below.

Was a nice find, and if it's not busy, it is enjoyable, access is limited by stairs to the 1st floor. A nice collection of artifacts showing Bakewell history and domestic items.