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The story of St Neots gallery takes you from the 11th century Benedictine priory to the coming of the railway in 1851.
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Discover what Victorian life was like for our ancestors in the village hall gallery.

What’s on at St Neots Museum

We organise a variety of specialist and family events from walks, talks, one-day festivals, temporary and touring exhibitions.

February festivals

26 January 2021

If the cold, dark days are getting you down, then here's a blog from our curator Liz to bring you a little cheer! During the gloomiest days of the year, when spring and summer seem a long way into the…

A history of time – the story behind our days, weeks, and months

22 January 2021

Who do we have to thank for our divisions of time? And how did the days and months get their names? Read on to find out in our brief history of time… We’ve been thinking a lot about time recently.…

The history of the rubber duck

13 January 2021

It turns out there’s a national day for EVERYTHING, and the 13th January just so happens to be Rubber Duck Day! As we could all do with some light distraction, here’s a brief history of our beloved…

St Neots’ sporting heroes

8 January 2021

If you're thinking of taking up a new sport or joining an exercise class this January, then you'll be in good company! St Neots has a proud sporting heritage, much of which is celebrated in the museum…

Yule – Christmas’ Pagan ancestor

16 December 2020

The 21st December 2020 is the Winter Solstice, which traditionally marks the beginning of Yule, a pre-Christian festival still in part celebrated in Scandinavian and Germanic societies. Whilst it’s easy…

St Neots’ Traditional Crafts

15 December 2020

As you'll know, each year we run our Winter Craft and Gift Fair, which showcases the work of local craftspeople and provides a unique venue where modern day local crafts can be celebrated alongside the…

St Neots and the fight against slavery in the 19th century

17 November 2020

As a small Victorian market town, St Neots may be imagined as a quiet and parochial place, but through trade, business and personal links, St Neots people had contacts across the world... On the 12th…

Seasonal treats – Why certain foods are associated with Halloween

28 October 2020

At this time of year, we crave certain comfort food: pumpkin pies, toffee apples, chocolate (in any form!) … But have you ever wondered why certain foods have become associated with Halloween? Well,…

Samhain – The precursor to Halloween

22 October 2020

The leaves are changing colour and the nights are drawing in, which means that Halloween is just around the corner! But did you know that Halloween isn't the first festival to be celebrated on the eve…

Toddler Time – Christmas

17 December 2020

Our Education Officer Lesley is back with a quick Christmas edition of Toddler Time! Join her as she goes on a search for some Christmas present ideas in the museum. There's also two Christmas poems…

Curator’s Corner – Our Medieval Skeleton

24 November 2020

If you've been to the museum, you'll have seen our human skeleton displayed in our Early History Gallery. Lots of people think that this is the skeleton of St Neot himself, but we're sorry to say they're…

Curator’s Corner – Ghosts of St Mary’s Churchyard

27 October 2020

Come along with us as we take a quick, ghostly tour around St Mary's Churchyard, with our curator Liz Davies. We've not been able to run our regular Ghost Walks this year, and so we've decided to do…

Curator’s Corner – Victor Ekins and the Battle of Britain

11 September 2020

Join our curator Liz for the latest edition of #CuratorsCorner. September 2020 marks the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, and in this episode, Liz tells us all about local Battle of Britain…

Toddler Time – Behind the Scenes at the Museum

4 September 2020

It's Toddler Time once again! In this edition, we join Lesley as she takes a look behind the scenes at the museum, searching through the museum stores to find hidden treasures. As usual, we finish…

Curator’s Corner – Edwardian Police Cells

14 August 2020

Join our curator Liz for a quick tour around the Edwardian police cells that form part of the museum. See where the prisoners would have slept and exercised, and find out why the water cistern for…

Family Crafts – Shadow Monsters

7 August 2020

In our latest crafty video we show you how to make your very own shadow puppet monster using materials from around the home. Why not make a whole gang of monsters so that you can create your own play?…

Toddler Time – Museum Sounds

5 August 2020

Welcome to our latest edition of Toddler Time! This month, were exploring the museum in search of some sounds. Come along and join us on our adventure! If you'd like to have a go at the activity at…

Family Crafts – Bits and Bobs Picture

31 July 2020

Watch our latest video to learn how to create a picture using everyday items around the home! All the instructions are included in the video, so get stuck in and get creating! Once you're finished,…

Anglo-Saxon silver coins

7 February 2019

Two Anglo-Saxon silver pennies of Aethelred II who reigned 978-1016 and minted at Huntingdon by the moneyer, Aelfric. The coins were discovered by a local metal detectorist and purchased through the National Treasure Scheme.

The Bank of St Neots

7 February 2019

A regency banknote issued by the short-lived bank of St Neots in 1824. Donated by a family who owned a pawn shop in Enfield, London, where it is believed the note was given in payment for a property.

John Bellingham at the Old Bailey

7 February 2019

A print of John Bellingham, a merchant who spent part of his childhood in St Neots, and later in life murdered the British Prime Minister, Spencer Percival. The print depicts Bellingham standing in…

Mammoth bone

7 February 2019

Most mammoths become extinct at the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, and this tooth from a full-sized male was discovered in Sandy Heath Quarry in 2003. Mammoths had an incredible 5 to…

The St Neots parish chest

14 April 2018

The St Neots parish chest has been on display in the museum since we opened in 1998 after being restored and preserved is a long-term loan from the parish church.

James Toller, the Eynesbury Giant

7 July 2017

James Toller was born in St Neots in 1798 and by the age of ten was already 5ft 5 inches tall. Sadly James died when he was only 20-years-old but we have some interesting stuff about his life.

Paine’s Brewery and the history of brewing in St Neots

7 July 2017

The first large-scale brewery in St Neots is thought to have been established by Samuel Emery who purchased The Bull Inn on the Market Square and the public house next door so that he could brew in larger quantities.

History of the paper mill, Little Paxton

6 July 2017

There was an active mill on the site in Little Paxton since the monks of St Neots priory owned a water-powered medieval corn-grinding mill called Okestubbe.

The world’s oldest surviving quadruplets

5 July 2017

In St Neots in 1935 something rather unusual happened – in the upstairs bedroom of a council house, four tiny babies were born. We’ve collected together some of their belongings for you to see.

Objects

Galleries

First World War

Exhibitions

Click here to find out how!

Digital museum

Visit our gallery exhibitions

Visit our gallery exhibitions

What’s on at St Neots Museum

February festivals

A history of time – the story behind our days, weeks, and months

The history of the rubber duck

St Neots’ sporting heroes

Yule – Christmas’ Pagan ancestor

St Neots’ Traditional Crafts

St Neots and the fight against slavery in the 19th century

Seasonal treats – Why certain foods are associated with Halloween

Samhain – The precursor to Halloween

Toddler Time – Christmas

Curator’s Corner – Our Medieval Skeleton

Curator’s Corner – Ghosts of St Mary’s Churchyard

Curator’s Corner – Victor Ekins and the Battle of Britain

Toddler Time – Behind the Scenes at the Museum

Curator’s Corner – Edwardian Police Cells

Family Crafts – Shadow Monsters

Toddler Time – Museum Sounds

Family Crafts – Bits and Bobs Picture

Anglo-Saxon silver coins

The Bank of St Neots

John Bellingham at the Old Bailey

Mammoth bone

The St Neots parish chest

James Toller, the Eynesbury Giant

Paine’s Brewery and the history of brewing in St Neots

History of the paper mill, Little Paxton

The world’s oldest surviving quadruplets

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