Sheringham Museum

Sheringham Museum at the Mo stands in the Norfolk coastal town of Sheringham, a place with over a thousand years of recorded history. The building itself began as a house named after Morag, daughter of a local family, before serving as a military training site in the Second World War. After being demolished in 1946, the site became a bandstand and playground before being transformed into the museum it is today. The collection was originally housed in converted fishermen’s cottages near the main street, but space constraints led to the move. The new building now displays the town’s social history, its fishing past and its growth as a holiday resort. The museum is worth visiting for its lifeboat collection, which includes four restored vessels now kept on display. It also serves as the Sheringham Shoal Windfarm Visitor Centre, offering insight into the area’s renewable energy efforts. Run entirely by local volunteers, the museum coordinates Maritime Heritage East and leads the Gansey Heritage Network. Temporary exhibitions feature items such as the records of J C Madge and the history of the Forester’s Centenary. The building’s past as a military training ground adds another layer to its story. Inside, visitors find displays on fishing, shipwrecks and the town’s transformation into a seaside destination. The museum’s rooms hold artefacts that tell the story of Sheringham’s people and industries over the centuries. Outside, the building sits on a site once used for public entertainment, linking past and present. The collection includes lifeboats and maritime equipment, while the windfarm centre explains the offshore turbines visible from the coast. The volunteer-run museum offers a quiet space to explore local heritage without crowds.