Charles Burrell Museum

The Charles Burrell Museum stands in Thetford, Norfolk, on Minstergate. It occupies the former Paint Shop of Charles Burrell & Sons, a grade II listed building. The museum focuses on steam power and steam transport, telling the story of the Charles Burrell Works. This company once employed 350 people before closing in 1928. Its engines were produced and sold around the world. Displays include a steam roller, traction engine, and a Showmans Road Locomotive. The museum holds original plans for many Burrell engines, kept privately by the Palmer family of Haughley. These plans came through the marriage of Mrs Annie Palmer to Mr Thomas Doran JP, who with his brother founded Doran Bros of Thetford. In 2012, the nearby Dad’s Army Museum donated the original Ford BB van used as Jones’s butcher’s van in the series. The van has been on display at the Charles Burrell Museum since early 2013. Visitors find engines and machinery from the Burrell Works, along with agricultural equipment and family-related items. The museum also holds parts of Burrell engines and factory machinery. The Ford BB van from Dad’s Army adds a touch of popular culture to the displays. The building itself, once part of a major engineering firm, provides a fitting setting for these historic objects. The collections offer a clear view of steam transport’s role in industry and daily life.