The barn took on a new lease of life in 1976 when it opened as an agricultural museum – and we have a tractor, hay wain and various other pieces of agricultural machinery to illustrate the point.

However, over the years, the collection has grown and grown to include all manner of domestic and craft items. There’s a kitchen full of pots, pans and china, a front room setting with a pianola and chiming clock, another section is devoted to the local Upminster brick works and yet another to old washing machines and laundry items. We also have a collection of vacuum cleaners, TVs and record players as well as children’s toys and typewriters.

On the craft side we have a collection of wood working tools and printing ephemera.

If any visitor has a special interest one of the volunteer staff will be happy to direct them to the relevant exhibits.

 

My favourite object…

We asked some of the regular volunteers at the barn to tell us what some of their favourite items in the barn are.

“My favourite objects are the Pages Farm dairy collection – We have an original horse-drawn cart, measures, milk churn, milk bottles, bottle caps and cream pots – All nice and local since Havering Council bought the farm in Harold Wood 20 years ago and created a series of woods and walks.”

Andrew

“While many barn exhibits evoke a memory, they are also important source of social history. I love the fact that so many of them have a practical purpose and have been put to use, whether as tools of the trade or labour saving devices around the home. Not only do they help us remember, they also show our children how we were.”

Trevor