Mersea Museum on the Essex Coast
An independent museum established in 1976 and occupying purpose-built premises that have been steadily expanded. We are in the centre of West Mersea, just to the east of the Parish Church. The traditional local activities of fishing, oystering, wild fowling and boat building are represented. 2,000 year old contents of Mersea Barrow. The exhibition in the main hall is new each year and features a number of different displays.
Computers in the Resource Centre can be used to access over 45,000 images, slideshows, articles, parish records, local census contents, audio files, video.
Children are welcome, with puzzles and quizzes available.

The Museum is closed until further notice - but we are still active online

22 July 2020
We continue to try and plan for the future in an uncertain time. The summer exhibition is not taking place, though some of it may appear next year. The evening talks for the autumn have been cancelled. We are seeing if we can have meetings of small groups in the Museum, depending on the guidelines at the time. Thought is being given to the fortnightly Resource Centre meetings, which would be much more difficult. Yesterday, we had the first meeting of any sort for four months - outside in the fresh air. See CITiZAN Meeting

Newsletter
The May 2020 Newsletter contains an update from the Chairman on Mersea Museum in the current situation.
Click Here to view the Newsletter - it will open in a new window.

There are new or updated articles online - newest first ...

- Mersea Water Mersea Life article
- Victor Gray Down on the Farm in Little Wigborough (Audio recording)
- Wigborough War Memorial
- Harry and Angelina Smith from Peldon
- Water Tower on Fire
- East Mersea Tales - Wilsons and Dawsons
- The Whiting Family of Peldon
- A History of Pete Hall
- Essex Cheese
- The Victory in the 1920s
- The Mystery of Honor Villa and Goings Cottages, Peldon
- Peldon Tug of War Team
- Reg Hempstead talking in 1990. Reg worked as a rigger at Clarke & Carter (Audio recording)
- The Martins of Moor Farm
- To School by train - Tollesbury before WW2

See More from this List ...

Mersea Archive Research Group (MARG)
MARG is working to transcribe old documents from Mersea and the surrounding area.
List of transcribed documents
 

History
If you are interested in local history, there is much on this website. See HISTORY.
View the latest IMAGES added to the site
or read the most recent Articles and Documents

Where to find us: Mersea Island is on the Essex coast, about 9 miles south of Colchester on the B1025.
The museum is in West Mersea - follow the main road through the village to the High Street and down as far as the parish church. Turn left in front of the church to reach the entrance gates of the museum.
Show local map or Link to Google maps (in a new window).
If you come on the bus (63, 67 or 68 from Colchester), the museum is a short walk straight ahead from the terminus.

Collections: Local history, social history, natural history and geology, local photographs, oral history, family history, parish records, marine, John Leather Memorial Collection, engineering and costume.

Facilities: Activities for children, Audio Guides, Disabled Access, Disabled Parking, Shop

Shop: The Museum Shop has a varied selection of books, postcards, souvenirs and mementos.

Helping the Museum: You can help Mersea Museum by becoming a member, volunteering, joining the 100 Club or just by a Donation.
See About Us for more information.