News
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Your museum needs YOU! Call for trustees
Diss Museum Manager Basil Abbott helps author with research
Thomas Manning archive discovered
Pocket watch commemorating the brave deed of a Diss man has been found in Australia
Events
A Stroll around Diss
March-October, £5 per person (accompanied children under 12 free)
Stroll time: approx. 1.5 hours, start and finish at the Museum
Introducing you to our lovely market town – not just a guided tour! Learn about some of the old buildings, the town’s history, some of its famous people and a lot of interesting things about Diss.
Remember… we put the ROLL into the STROLL for those who rely upon wheels to get around!
View the event poster
Heritage Open Days - Stroll around Diss
Thursday 7 - Sunday 10 September, 11am and 2pm
As part of the Heritage Open Day weekend, join us for the Stroll around Diss.
No need to book, just turn up at the Museum.
View the event poster
The Story of Redgrave Park
Friday 15 September, 7.30pm, St Mary’s Church Hall, Diss
Members - £3, Non-members - £5. Pay at the door - all welcome
A gallop through a thousand years of history, showing the Park’s transformation from monastic hunting ground to classical landscape designed by Capability Brown. Tim Holt Wilson will be revealing the story of its various owners, and glimpses into what life was like at Redgrave Hall. View the event poster.
Bric-a-brac sale
Saturday 16 September, 9.30am - 3pm
Friends of Diss Museum will be holding a bric-a-brac sale on 16 September, 9.30am - 3pm. We look forward to seeing you there. View the event poster.
Programme of speakers
Every third Friday, Friends of the Museum can enjoy a lecture from a different speaker.
Click here to view the 2017 programme
The Shambles - When the Museum building was a butcher's shop
Amongst items on display are the large weighing scales, a frightningly heavy meat cleaver, a bloodied apron, photographs and three 'frails'. Frail was the name given to the rushwork bags that Mr. Anness the butcher provided for carrying meat home. An indication of their age is shown by the printed telephone number on the bag - Diss 105.
Audio-visual
Since last November we have had A/V in the Shambles to demonstrate DVDs on sale in the shop. The facility has also been used to show the Tristram Cary Story and is currently being used to display the story of the Diss Dig.
Permanent Exhibitions
Always on display are the Manning family dolls' house and information about local personalities like Tudor poet-laureate and Diss rector, John Skelton, and Victorian photographer, Cleer Alger.
Temporary Exhibitions
From a love affair that shook world politics to the everyday working life in a local factory,
Diss Museum reveal their new displays and artefacts for 2017
From March 11th 2017, Diss Museum will once again open its historic doors and welcome tourists and locals back into one of East Anglia’s most diverse museums. Sharing tales and artefacts stretching back into the area of the dinosaurs and up to the modern day, the Shambles building, home of Diss Museum since the 1990s is simply bulging with displays to explore and inspire all ages.
Celebrating what many described as one of the greatest love stories of the 20th century, Diss Museum will be displaying clippings and photos showing the beautiful and yet unknown link local links between Norfolk and Seretse Khama, who went onto become the first president of Botswana and his English born wife Ruth. Their interracial marriage shocked 1950s Africa and the UK, leading to intensive personal scrutiny from South Africa and the British Government in the early 1950s, and to eventual exile from his homeland in 1951. Now a major Hollywood film, find out the local links to their true love story and how it impacted their lives.
The Museums special links with the local schools will be celebrated in Discovery Corner with a joint display by Diss Junior School, who have been exploring the Great War in class, inspired by artefacts on display in the museum and poppy artwork contributions from local children.
Our popular Community Cabinet will this year display collections from the Heritage Triangle, Cupiss, Diss Rotary Club and artefacts celebrating from the 1937 Coronation. This ever-changing space allows local people to display their own collections, so watch this space for more news.
The Aldrich Bros Ltd Brush & Mat factory played a large part in the daily lives of people in the area, and this year we examine the various tools used in this busy factory. Exporting across the world, including famously supplying No10 Downing Street with doormats in the 20th century, this is a fascinating insight into Norfolk social history. On display will be a stunning collection of professional photographs and original items from the factory, highlighting the intense skill needed to use these tools and produce everyday brush and mat items.
Last year the Museum received over 140 new acquisitions, some of which will go on display in the first few months of the new museum season. From a display about John Frere’s important hand axe discoveries in 1797 to diverse World War 2 era items including intricate souvenir handkerchiefs, carte de cabinet photograph frame, WAAF items, and army books from Mr H.R Flatman.
In our China Cabinet display, there will be a selection of beautiful chinaware from the Museum collection, including jelly moulds, commemorative cups and miniature pieces.
Do you love walking around graveyards and wondering about the lives of the people commemorated? Then explore our Diss Cemetery Worthies display, which will help you find out more about the names and lives of some of the people buried in Diss Cemetery, literally bringing the churchyard to life.
In an age of emails, text, snapchat and social media, the hand-written letter is now being consigned to history. We therefore celebrate “the letter” with a collection of personal correspondences to people in Diss from people around the UK. From decorative handwriting, personal messages or letters enquiring about possible items to purchase; these letters, some dating back to 1670 offer a window into a bygone time.
As always, the museum will be rotating items on display so regular visitors will always have something new to inspire them on their visits. We look forward to welcoming you in 2017. 
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