The Folk of Gloucester
With a National Art Pass you get
Situated in a Tudor house, The Folk of Gloucester aims to keep the history of the city alive through the retelling of stories.
The Folk of Gloucester, formerly the Folk Museum, is a collection of distinctive timber frame buildings in the city centre, close to Gloucester Cathedral. Housing exhibitions about local crafts, industry and domestic life, plus reconstructions of how the house was used over the centuries it creates a microcosm of Gloucester life through the ages.
Pin factory
Gloucester pins were renowned and exported worldwide. For many years the house was home to a successful pin factory that was the origins of the company that manufactured the Kirby grip (or bobbie pin). On display are a number of pin machines and many of the original oak boards have brass debris from the manufacturing process trampled into them.
Cotton motorcycles
On the ground floor of the museum are two examples of vintage motorcycles from the Gloucester based Cotton Motor Company (later E.Cotton Motors Ltd). The first from 1922 showcasing the triangular frame Frank Cotton pioneered. The second motorbike is a 1963 Telstar model which would have taken part in TT races.
The Folk at Gloucester also houses a reconstruction of a Victorian kitchen, an apple press for making cider and late 16th century wall art in a pattern book style, which was discovered by accident in the 1960s.
The museum holds regular creative and community events, and you can also book a tour with guides dressed in period costume.
Visitor information
Address
The Folk of Gloucester, 99-103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 2PG
01452 396868
Refurbishments
Visitor information
Museums nearby
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.