From prehistoric to modern day

St Neots Museum was opened in 1995, in what was the Old Court – a former police station and law court building on New Street

The museum presents the history of the busy market town of St Neots on the River Ouse, from prehistoric times onwards and includes the original early 20th-century gaol cells where prisoners were detained.

Learn about the life of St Neot himself, the medieval priory that once thrived here, and the Civil War battle of St Neots. Discover the story of the Great North Road and the coaches that made St Neot’s such an important staging post, and how the town changed with the coming of the railroad in 1851.

Village hall gallery

The village hall gallery relives the local history and traditions of the area. Find out what school was like in the Victorian period, and how people spent their leisure time. The gallery looks at domestic life through time, from how people cooked, cleaned, and worked at home. Learn about local crafts and trades, and how St Neots developed through the ages.

Management

The museum is managed by a board of Trustees who are responsible for policy and finance, and by a Management Committee which is concerned with the day-to-day management of the museum. The Curator reports to the trustees and also attends management committee meetings.

Funding

The museum receives an annual grant from St Neots Town Council which provides 60 per cent of the funding, with additional funding being raised by the museum through admission charges, public donations, shop revenue and fundraising by the Friends of the Museum.

Staff

There are three part-time members of staff, the Curator who works 20 hours per week, Tuesday to Thursday (and other times as required), the Learning and Access Officer who works 6 hours per week, usually on a Friday, and the cleaner who works 4 hours per week Tuesday to Friday.

Volunteers

Apart from the three part-time positions the museum is managed entirely by volunteers working in the reception, welcoming visitors, helping with exhibitions, cataloguing our collections, answering enquiries, providing regular maintenance of the building, organising guided tours, and many other essential tasks. If you’d like to become a volunteer please contact us.

Friends of St Neots Museum

The Friends group. many of whom are also regular volunteers, and provide enormous support to the museum, in particular running the museum shop and organising a variety of fundraising events throughout the year. If you would like to join the friends and help support the museum please visit our friends page.