Welcome to Aylsham Heritage Centre's WebsiteLocated in the old church rooms in the grounds of St Michael's Church, Aylsham Heritage Centre is a resource for the local community to find out more about the heritage of the area. We are also one of the Tourist Information points in the town.
From the Marketplace, head into the churchyard and walk down the path keeping the church on your left. The centre can be found at the end of the path next to the War memorial. Market Place Aylsham, Nr11 6EH |
Opening Times (March to December)Monday 10.30am - 1pm
Tuesday - 10.30 am - 3.30pm Wednesday 10.30am - 3.30pm Thursday 10.30am - 3.30pm Friday 10.30am - 3.30 pm 1st Saturday of each month 10.30am - 1pm  Alfie the Heritage Centre dog is always willing to welcome visitors!
Find us in the grounds of St Michael's Churchyard.
Entry is free - although donations are always welcome! Well behaved dogs on leads are also more than welcome
Donate to the Heritage Centre by visiting our BT Donate page.
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2018 Exhibition
The current exhibition is called "What's in a name" and is all about the people who have had streets named after them in the town. There are many interesting stories about the contribution these people have made to the town. These include Humphry Repton the renowned landscape gardener and Joseph Clover the pioneering anaesthetist. There is a fascinating leaflet to accompany the exhibition too which has been produced by the History Society which is available in the centre. The exhibition is open until November.
Children's Website - written for and by children
Over the last couple of years we have noticed that all the information about the history of the town is aimed at adults. So, in order to put this right, we managed to gain some funding from the Jubilee Trust to create a website for children, written by children. A team from Bure Valley helped us out and the results can be found at https://aylshamhistoryforchildren.weebly.com/ They really have done a cracking job!
Roman Exhibition
We have an exhibition of Roman Artefacts in the centre, from the finds made at Woodgate Nursery. We even have some Roman pottery you can handle too!
There are always lots of things happening at the centre.
Follow the links further down the page to find out more!
Events and News
Hare Crafts - Sunday 24th June
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Come and try your hand at some hare crafts as part of the launch of the G-GO Hare in Aylsham . Free activities - donations welcome. Market Place Sunday 24th June. 9 - 11.30. Pop along and see us!
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Norfolk Day - Saturday 28th July
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As part of the Norfolk Day celebrations, and linking with our street Names exhibition we are hosting a drop in workshop to make model Soame pumps to take home. Soame Close is named after John Soame who served on the Parish Council. The pump was built in his memory and opened in 1913.
The Workshop is free - Donations welcome. Pop along and see us. Town Hall Saturday 28th July 9am - 1pm |
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Summer Activities
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Wednesday 1st August - Paper Batik. Create a beautiful paper batik design using wax crayons, paint and an iron! (Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult - not suitable for children under 5)
2 - 4 pm £4 per child - Booking essential Friday 3rd August- Scavenger Hunt. Call in and pick up a list of things to find as a family around the town. £4 per family, no booking required. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Pop in any time between 10.30 and 3pm. |
Beginners Needle Felting Workshop
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Learn the basics involved in needle felting and create your own fox to take home. All materials and refreshments provided.
Take home kit of basic tools available for a small fee. Absolutely no experience needed!! Friday 14th September 10.30 – 1pm £15 per person |
Wine Tasting - Saturday 6th October
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Our annual wine tasting evening takes place on Saturday 6th October 7pm. A great opportunity to taste some wonderful wines with commentary from wine merchants Harper Wells of Eaton. A really relaxed and informal evening which is really good fun! £17 per person including testing of around 6 wines with cheese and nibbles too. Book early to avoid disappointment as places are limited.
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October Talks
We have a series of talks every Wednesday night in October, all starting at 7pm and costing £4 per person. Booking essential.
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3rd October - Letters from After Peace.
A fascinating picture of life after the armistice, taken from beautifully preserved family letters written in 1945. 10th October - Pablo Fanque's Fair and the Victorian Circus Pablo Fanque—real name William Darby, the first black British circus proprietor—was born in Norwich. He is immortalised in the Beatles song, Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite. This talk also celebrates the 250th anniversary of circus as an entertainment and fits in with the "Circus 250" national celebrations. 17th October - The Friendly Invasion. This costumed talk is about the US Airforce in Norfolk in WW2 and how they and the local people experienced this meeting. 24th October - Life Beyond the Home Front - Women in WW2 Although women played a significant part keeping life and the home running during the war, many contributed by signing up to the Army, Airforce and Navy and the Women’s Land Army. This talk gives an overview of the varied roles women carried out during this time. |
Previous events .
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About us
Find out more about the centre and our lovely building
What's Happening?
Calendar of events for the year.
Family Tree Research.
We can help to get you started on your family tree research or to find out more about your ancestors.
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Schools
School visits and education packages to suit your curriculum needs.
Aylsham Town trail
A town trail, written and produced by Aylsham heritage Centre and Aylsham Rotary, is now available
Books and Photos for
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Friends of Aylsham Heritage Centre
Help support the centre by coming a Friend
Children's Parties
Have a themed craft birthday party at the centre!
Group Visits and Organised Walks
Arrange a visit for your group with a guided walk
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Hire the Centre |
Testimonials
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Tourist Information Point |
Links |
Aylsham Town Archives |
