Opening Hours
We are open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday 2-5pm from April to October inclusive. We are open at other times by appointment
See Events for event opening times.
Admission Charges
Entry to the museum is free.
The Museum removed visitor entry fees for 2024 as a trial and we are pleased to extend this to the 2026 season. But, we will keep this under review and may reintroduce fees if necessary.
We ask visitors to be as generous as possible with donations. Also, where possible, consider making them Gift Aided, as this generates 25% more income for the museum.
Free entry does not apply to all events. Check the specific event notice in Events for details of any charges.
Location
Our address is:
Ramsey Rural Museum
Wood Lane, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
PE26 2XD
Directions
By Car or Coach:
The museum is at the end of a lane off the B1096 between Ramsey and Ramsey Forty Foot. The lane entrance is directly opposite the Ramsey-end of the cemetery and the museum is signposted from the road.
Be aware that the lane is not always suitable for cars with very low suspension.
There is free parking for coaches and cars, and dedicated spaces for disabled drivers.
By Bus:
Ramsey is served, somewhat infrequently, by buses from main towns and cities in the area: Peterborough, Huntingdon, St. Ives and Chatteris. See Journey Planner for details of services. The main bus stop is on the Great Whyte in the centre of town.
By Foot
It is a short walk (0.7 miles) from the centre of Ramsey to the museum. Local footpath number 190/1 passes by the museum and forms part of a popular circular walk of Ramsey’s historical sites.
By Cycle
Huntingdonshire Cycle Route 13 passes close to the museum and the area is well-served by cycle routes. However, note that none are dedicated cycle pathways.
The Museum’s Contents
Museum Collection
The museum has 15 different rooms and outdoor areas where we house the museum’s collection of historical objects, artefacts and items of farm machinery.
The majority of the rooms are housed in buildings that are themselves of historical importance, with the oldest stone buildings dating from the 17th century.
Historical Archives
The museum is home to an extensive collection of local archival material – photos, maps, documents and ephemera. See Ramsey Archives for more details.
Amenities
Tea Room
Our licenced tea room is open whenever the museum is open. We serve a range of teas, coffees, cold drinks, locally made cakes and other snacks and light refreshments. It is open to non-visitors and is a popular destination for locals taking the short stroll from Ramsey.
We may offer a wider range of food and drinks at events.
We can also provide a wider range of food and drinks for groups visiting the museum by prior arrangement. See Group Visits.
Book Shop
Our bookshop is stocked with around 3000 donated books, both fiction and non-fiction, all very competitively priced, in good condition, and arranged so as to make browsing easy.
Gift Shop
Our small gift shop, located in the reception area, stocks a range of museum-themed merchandise and locally crafted objects.
Gardens and Wildlife
The museum is set in a rural landscape with ancient oak trees and extensive grasslands (the site was originally called Hassocks Meadow), and to this we have added a variety of green spaces – a sensory garden, a wildflower area, a domestic garden for the Darlow’s Farm Cottage and a grassy area by the thatched well.
Facilities
We have toilets and baby-changing facilities.
We can warm baby food and feeding bottles – just ask in reception.
Additional toilets are provided for most outdoor events.
Accessibility
There is wheelchair access to all but one of the Museum’s display rooms, and we provide a video presentation of the exhibits in this area. In addition, electric and large wheelchairs cannot access the Darlow’s Farm Cottage.
There are 8 allocated disabled parking places.
We provide a radar-key operated disabled toilet, with alarm.
Additional disabled parking is provided for most events.
Schools
We offer specially conducted tours for school parties. These are available throughout the year, but are by prior arrangement only. Details and a booking form are given in Schools Visit Details.
Groups
We welcome groups of up to 60 visitors for museum tours. Optionally, a visit can be coupled with a Ploughman’s Lunch, or an afternoon Cream Tea.
We require 14 days notice for lunch and cream tea bookings.
Details of how to book are in Contact Us
