East of England

Stockwood Park Museum

Located in beautiful parkland, Stockwood Park Museum displays rural crafts and trade to give you a flavour of life in Bedfordshire before the age of the machine. Stockwood is also home to the Mossman collection of horse-drawn vehicles with over 50 vehicles illustrating road transport from Roman times through to the 1930s. You can also enjoy the period gardens which are inspired by 9 centuries of gardening including an Elizabethan Knot Garden, and Victorian Cottage Gardens.

Museum of Zoology (Cambridge)

In the academic world of Cambridge, visit the Museum of Zoology (www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/museum/) which houses extensive collections, dating back to the early 1800s. They also include scientifically important zoological material from the work of Charles Darwin to name but one, and this working museum has been designated as being of outstanding national and international significance. 

Essex Police Museum

The unusual Essex Police Museum (www.essex.police.uk/offbeat/o_mu_01.php) was established in 1991 and contains records, documents and items of historic police interest. Based at Police Headquarters in Springfield, Chelmsford, it holds archival material relating to the history of the force from 1840. In addition the museum holds details of murder cases, especially those from the last century.

Cambridge & County Folk Museum

Step inside the doors of the ancient White Horse Inn at the Cambridge & County Folk Museum, and drink in the past! The collections in this recently refurbished museum date from 1600 and are displayed in a fine timber-framed building located in the most ancient part of Cambridge. The museum is the only local and social history museum in Cambridge and over 60 years of collecting has resulted in a rich and fascinating range of exhibits to enjoy.

Norwich Castle

One of the city's most famous landmarks, Norwich Castle was built by the Normans as a Royal Palace 900 years ago. Used as a prison from the 14th century, the castle became a museum in 1894. Now the county's main museum, the castle is packed with treasures to inspire and intrigue visitors of all ages.

Outstanding collections

Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery (www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/default.asp?Document=200.21) has outstanding collections of fine art, archaeology and natural history are of national importance and include the best collections anywhere of paintings by the Norwich School of Artists including its most distinguished members, John Crome and John Sell Cotman. You’ll also discover the world's largest collection of ceramic teapots.

Time and Tide (Great Yarmouth)

Housed in a converted herring works, journey into the past at Time and Tide (www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/default.asp?Document=200.44) in Great Yarmouth. Wander through a 1913 'Row' and see inside the home of a fisherman. Experience the atmosphere of a 1950s quayside and take the wheel of a coastal drifter. Relax in the courtyard surrounded by historic fishing boats and take some time out in the café to savour your experiences.

www.24hourmuseum.org.uk (www.24hourmuseum.org.uk)