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A timber-framed Tardis
BBC History Magazine
|February 2022
Incongruously sandwiched between shops and pubs in a Norfolk market town stands a Tudor building crammed with stories spanning more than two millennia of local history. PRIYA ATWAL explores Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life
Midway between the tourist hotspots of Cambridge and Norwich lies the a You might be tempted to drive past this unassuming little town, but I'd strongly encourage you to stop and visit. Stroll along Whitehart Street and, amid the shops and businesses, look for a beautiful timber-framed building: Ancient House, home to Thetford's wonderful local museum.
Stepping inside, you really feel as if you're entering a Tardis. Constructed of oak, wattle and daub, Ancient House is a rare survivor from the Tudor period. Built around 1500, likely for a wealthy merchant, it was home to a succession of shopkeepers and tradespeople into the early 20th century. Today, the building houses the Museum of Thetford Life, with each room exploring a different aspect of the town's past. Exhibits also cover its connections to national history, the British empire and the wider world.
This story is from the February 2022 edition of BBC History Magazine.
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