The Mo Sheringham Museum

The Mo

The Mo Sheringham Museum is a museum in the town of Sheringham, Norfolk, England.^[1] The current museum opened in April 2010 and replaced the former collection which was housed in converted fishermen's cottages behind the main street.

The name Mo comes from a little girl who lived in Sheringham over 130 years ago and the museum tells her story and those of other Sheringham people.^[2]

History

The town's museum was located in converted fishermen's cottages and washhouses in the heart of the town. The museum had, as part of its information on the local fishing industry, a collection of original boat building tools dating back to the 1880s. Sheringham became known for its boat-building with boat-builders like Lown, Johnson and especially Emery being kept busy in the town. These skilled shipwrights built boats for Sheringham, Cromer and other fishermen further afield. There was a display in the museum of Emery's original bench and tools. Fishing is the foundation of which Lower Sheringham developed with a small, tightly-knit community developing on the cliffs and launching their boats from the flint beaches. During the mid 19th century, there were over 200 boats fishing off the shore. The fishermen were real characters going by nicknames like Downtide, Bounce, Squinter, Spider, Butter Balls, Bread-alone, Pongo and Teapot. Also on display were models of lifeboats, a Roman kiln, the original settlement of Upper Sheringham, and photographs showing how this popular holiday resort has grown over the years.

One of the newest displays showed pieces of elephant bone that have been found at the base of cliffs to the west of Sheringham, significant because no-one expected any such finds to be made here. The pieces of bone on display have been dated back some 1.5 million years. These giant animals roamed the world at a time when what is now the Norfolk coast, although then much further north, was enjoying an almost tropical environment. The museums display told the story of these remarkable animals and traces there migratory journey from continent to continent. Linked with this was a display on the geology of the beach and information as well as a display of the most common fossils you will find on the local beaches. There is a display covering the war years at the museum.

At 8.30 pm on 19 January 1915, Sheringham became the first place in Britain to have a bomb dropped on it by a Zeppelin.^[3] The story and part of the bomb is on display in the Museum.^[4] Sheringham was a front-line town during World War II. Barbed wire surrounded the beaches from fear of invasion and the cliffs often reverberated from the pounding of large guns practising at the close by Weybourne Camp. An exhibit called the 'Misfortunes of Peace and War' included the debris of planes, ships, and other items found on the beaches of North Norfolk. Another display allowed the visitor to take a peep into an old pharmacy, and there were other unusual objects such as a pig's bladder used as a fisherman's float, a Victorian fly trap. Visitors could also learn about the discontinued practice of flint picking off the beaches.

The Mo

The Mo was originally a house named after Morag, born 1881, daughter of Sir Thomas Digby Pigott a member of the Upcher family. Richard Frederick Hayward, M.C., K.C., a maritime lawyer and farmer, was the last owner.

The military requisitioned the property in 1940 and although initially intended as a defensive stronghold against invading forces, it was principally used to train troops in house to house fighting. Badly damaged, it was pulled down in 1946 and the site was then used as an open-air bandstand and children’s playground.

Anglian Water acquired the site in 1996 from North Norfolk District Council in order to build a multi-million pound sewerage scheme for the town, in return they built an ‘amenity building’ on the top of a massive storm and overflow tank, and although this new building was leased to the District Council it remained empty until 2009 when NNDC and Anglian Water allowed the lease to be transferred to Sheringham Museum Trust.

In April 2010, the museum reopened in a new facility located in "The Mo", a modern building on the town's seafront.^[5] Displays focus on the town's fishing industry and development as a holiday resort, as well as the activities of the Sheringham lifeboat station, including three original lifeboats. The museum also houses the Sheringham Shoal Windfarm Visitor Centre.^[6]

See also

• J C Madge on display in The Mo
• Forester’s Centenary on display in The Mo
• The Manchester Unity of Oddfellows on display in The Mo

References

External links

• `The Mo` Museum website

Coordinates: 52°56′43″N 1°12′48″E / 52.9452°N 1.2134°E / 52.9452; 1.2134