MUSEUM OF EAST ANGLIAN LIFE
History of the Museum
Huge changes in the 1950's and ‘60s meant England was in danger of losing long established skills, equipment and buildings if something was not done to rescue them. Individual collectors and the Suffolk Local History Council worked together to first conserve, then display, local agricultural and industrial materials. After several years of temporary exhibitions across the county, the Misses Longe of Abbot’s Hall most generously placed 70 acres of farming land and Abbot’s Hall house in trust for the development of the Museum of East Anglian Life. It was officially opened in 1967.
The museum occupies the land that was formerly part of the home farm associated with Abbot’s Hall. The estate has a long history.
History of Abbots Hall and estate
In the medieval period, Abbots Hall was an outlying manor of St Osyth’s Priory in Essex. Some historians think several of the ponds in the museum might be the remains of medieval fishponds. When the priory was closed in 1539, the land passed through the hands of several private owners.
In 1709 Charles Blosse, local gentleman and merchant, built Abbot’s Hall house in the latest fashion. The canalised lake and wide promenade around it also date from this time.
By the 1860's, photographs show the Prentice family living in the Hall. William Prentice was an important local businessman. In 1877 John Hayward, a local solicitor, bought the property and replaced the maltings near the house with a new stable block and West Wing.
The Longe family took on the Hall in 1904. The Misses V.M. and E.T. Longe were well known local figures who had a strong interest in the traditional agricultural life of the region. The Museum of East Anglian Life is a modern memorial to their foresight and vision.
Huge changes in the 1950's and ‘60s meant England was in danger of losing long established skills, equipment and buildings if something was not done to rescue them. Individual collectors and the Suffolk Local History Council worked together to first conserve, then display, local agricultural and industrial materials. After several years of temporary exhibitions across the county, the Misses Longe of Abbot’s Hall most generously placed 70 acres of farming land and Abbot’s Hall house in trust for the development of the Museum of East Anglian Life. It was officially opened in 1967.
The museum occupies the land that was formerly part of the home farm associated with Abbot’s Hall. The estate has a long history.
History of Abbots Hall and estate
In the medieval period, Abbots Hall was an outlying manor of St Osyth’s Priory in Essex. Some historians think several of the ponds in the museum might be the remains of medieval fishponds. When the priory was closed in 1539, the land passed through the hands of several private owners.
In 1709 Charles Blosse, local gentleman and merchant, built Abbot’s Hall house in the latest fashion. The canalised lake and wide promenade around it also date from this time.
By the 1860's, photographs show the Prentice family living in the Hall. William Prentice was an important local businessman. In 1877 John Hayward, a local solicitor, bought the property and replaced the maltings near the house with a new stable block and West Wing.
The Longe family took on the Hall in 1904. The Misses V.M. and E.T. Longe were well known local figures who had a strong interest in the traditional agricultural life of the region. The Museum of East Anglian Life is a modern memorial to their foresight and vision.
History of the Museum and Abbott’s Hall