I love Museums - visit to Red House Museum, Christchurch

I have always loved Museums. When I was growing up I used to visit the Tudor House Museum in Southampton almost every week. I can still remember the stuffed Dachshund . . . This particular museum has been beautifully restored now, and is totally different to the room layout I remember from the 1960s.

My husband also loves Museums, and we make a point of visiting any in the vicinity of where we have journeyed. A friend had reminded me how good the Red House Museum at Christchurch was, and so we spent a very pleasant morning in the town, exploring the Museum and the Abbey. I hope you will enjoy the Museum as we did.



The workhouse is remembered in this plaque. I don't doubt it contained many unhappy families and orphans in its time, folk "on the parish" largely through bad fortune. At all events, the old Workhouse now houses the Red House Museum.


View across one of the garden areas at the back.

Above and below. In an age when horses were the main form of transport and had relatively short working lives, this machine made use of the horsehair "harvested" at the knackermans . . .


Various earthenware steens, drainers and Dorset Owls from the Verwood pottery. This round jug with "lugs" was used by farm labourers to take cider or cold tea to the fields with them at harvest time.

Wonderfully set out inglenook fireplace with all sorts of goodies from the past.

A lovely stack of steens (or pancheons as some people know them).

Grimwade's quick cooker for stews or puddings . . .

Above and below. An early "washing machine". I bet washing day was NOT a popular workday in the Convent . . .


This display was to show the importance of home-sewing in the past, particularly when there were few ready-made dresses available.

All manner of lamps too, including a little rush light holder on the right, just in the picture.

I was keen to photograph these as they are relevent to my family history, as my g. g. grandfather was a coachman, who drove the Exeter coach in Devon. These would have been familiar to him. Above coachman's tools; below spare adjustable horseshoe.



Above and below, several of the beautiful period dresses on display.

Isn't this shawl gorgeous? I saw one very like in an antiques shop in town with £85 or so on it.

A selection of bags, fans and hats.

Medieval horse shoes and ox shoes.