Cranbrook Museum
Cranbrook, West Kent
Photo of Cranbrook: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0Photo of Cranbrook: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cranbrook's volunteer-run museum fills three floors of a late 15th-century timber-framed house with around 6,000 objects on the town's past, from its cloth-making wealth to the Cranbrook Colony of Victorian painters. Entry is free, and it pairs well with the Union Windmill a short walk away.
Highlights
- A Grade II listed timber-framed building with a dragon beam and 1620s inglenook fireplaces
- Three floors of local history, each on a different theme
- A video tour in reception for anyone who cannot manage the stairs
- Part of the Wheels of Time scheme with the Union Windmill
Good to know
- Afternoons only, and only from April to October
- School and private group visits can be booked year round
- Local history archives are held here for research
Getting there
Cranbrook Museum, Carriers Road, Cranbrook, TN17 3JXParking: A short walk from the free Jockey Lane car park.
Get directionsChecked on 30 October 2026 against cranbrookmuseum.org, cranbrookmuseum.org, visittunbridgewells.com. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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More things to do in Cranbrook
Nearby
Photo of Cranbrook: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0Cranbrook Heritage Trail
A self-guided walk of ten stops round the old cloth town of Cranbrook, from the Vestry Hall and St Dunstan's Church to the Union Windmill on the hill. Green plaques mark points of interest on the way, and the free map tells the stories behind them.
Photo of Cranbrook: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0St Dunstan's Church, Cranbrook
Known as the Cathedral of the Weald, St Dunstan's is far bigger than a small market town needs, built on the wealth of Cranbrook's medieval cloth trade. Its golden sandstone stands out among the white weatherboarding of the town, and it is usually open for visitors to look round.
Photo of Cranbrook: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0Queen's Hall Theatre
This roughly 300-seat theatre inside the Cranbrook School grounds began life as a cinema in 1913 and now runs plays, musicals, gigs, comedy and film nights. It is the town's main stage, with a programme that runs from local productions to touring tribute bands and a Christmas show.