Welcome to the official website of  The Charles Burrell Museum based in Thetford, Norfolk, UK. Our museum is run by a fantastic team of friendly volunteers and, with no admission charges, survive on your very kind donations

Opening Update : Our opening times may vary at short notice as we heavily rely on a very small volunteering team. This means it’s best to check our facebook page before travelling to make sure we will be open. We are always looking for friendly volunteers to help us continue to tell the Charles Burrell Story.

We now have a GoFundMe and Easyfundraising page setup. Thank you so much!

The museum is housed in the, grade 2 listed, former paint shop of Charles Burrell & Sons, builders of steam traction engines, agricultural machinery, steam lorries and steam tram engines. We help tell the long story of how they were once Thetford’s main employer until the business closed in 1928.

We also currently have the Jones van, butcher’s delivery van owned by Lance-Corporal Jones in the BBC comedy series Dad’s Army, stationed at the museum, belonging to our great friends at The Dad’s Army museum, also here in Thetford.

Wonderful find!! Very enjoyable experience looking around this museum – interesting talk from a volunteer who was very knowledgeable. Cafe very reasonable and with friendly staff. Shame that there is no advertising in local hotels about this little gem!!

Tripadviser

Latest News…

• Closed Saturday 2nd October 2021September 28, 2021
  The museum will be closed this Saturday 2nd October 2021 for a special staff wedding!
• Heritage Open Days 2021September 9, 2021
  We are open during Heritage Open Days this year!
• Closed Tuesday 7th and 14th September 2021August 31, 2021
  Sadly we are unable to open on Tuesday 7th and 14th September 2021 due to a […]
• Grand 30th Anniversary Re-OpeningJune 16, 2021
  We have great news here at the Charles Burrell Museum in Thetford, with a lot of […]
• Why not join our great team.August 29, 2020

Quaint and informative Mainly visited to see Jones’s van from Dad’s Army. Informative and friendly volunteers. Just enough about steam engines to interest the passerby I’d suggest, some lovely machines. Loved seeing the van and hearing its history.

Tripadviser

Thanks to some of our Sponsors…

Our funding relies heavily on donations and sales from our shop and Café. We also have a network of friendly suppliers who help our team of volunteers with essential maintenance materials and consumables.

Craftmaster Paints and their steam supplies section have been supporting our Museum for several years, donating paint and various steam consumables for free, or at cost price, for which all at the museum are extremely grateful.

https://steamsupplies.com/

https://www.craftmasterpaints.co.uk/

Brian Cater Ltd Have supported the Museum for many years, Thanks to Gavin and his family for donating Welsh steam coal for us to use on our engines to present to the general public. Without their generosity our steam adventures would be severely cut back.

https://www.bryancater.co.uk

Thanks to Bearing Supplies ( Thetford ) who have helped us with the purchase of our latest Mig Welder.