Bakewell Old House Museum — Attraction in Derbyshire Dales

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...

A lovely local museum dedicated to the house through it's many uses over time and by extension the local community and the town of Bakewell. They have some stunning examples of carved Blue John stone and the sequence of rats in history pages give a peek into what the past was really like. Well worth the one to two hours it takes to do it up right. The staff are courteous and friendly and there is a small coat rack tucked away they let me use which given the changeable climate in Bake well is a very nice feature because you're not needlessly carrying a coat around. There are features on everyday life and industry with good examples of the tools and technology used in several historical periods. I will give one caution, the museum is located on top of a rather steep hill. If you have leg injuries or mobility issues budget time for a slow climb with frequet stops. On the up side the architecture and gardens along the way make for a pleasant experience in itself. If you are into it, the old Anglican church and graveyard are on the way up and can be interesting in themselves as a stop and rest location. The Museum has courticy seating and a short video presentation that allows one to catch ones breath. Over all, a very...

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...