Denny Abbey
Step inside Denny Abbey – a 12th-century, Grade I listed gem where every stone tells the story of the monks, nuns, and farmers who once called it home.
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Explore Denny Abbey and The Farmland Museum
From countesses and medieval monks, to country craftspeople and farmers, their stories come to life within ancient stone buildings and converted farm buildings. Wander through a site rich with captivating artefacts, each revealing the history and heritage of the people of Cambridgeshire.
Stone Barn
A beautifully restored, 17th-century Grade II listed threshing barn, the Stone Barn showcases displays and equipment highlighting the history of fenland farming.
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Village Shop
Step back into 1940s Cambridgeshire at the Village Shop and explore vintage signs, classic products, and nostalgic packaging from the era.
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Rural Trades
Explore displays of traditional crafts and trades once vital to everyday life in the Fens, featuring a dairy, Fenman’s hut, and wheelwright’s workshop.
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Walnut Tree Cottage
Walnut Tree Cottage remains closed, having undergone extensive conservation work. We hope to re-open in summer 2025.
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Nuns’ Refectory
Visit the Nun’s Refectory which was a dining room built in 1350 for the Franciscan nuns. This building revealed an almost complete Medieval tiled floor during the 1980s.
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Farming Equipment
Our extensive collection of farm equipment and machinery tells the story of agriculture in the Fens before mechanisation changed it forever.
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Gardens and Open Spaces
Nestled in the countryside, Denny Abbey and The Farmland Museum is the perfect getaway from busy modern life.
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Special Exhibition: The Story of G’s
This season’s special exhibition tells the story of G’s and how they have influenced farming in Cambridgeshire over the last 70 years.
Learn MoreThe Farmland Museum Collection
We have over 11,000 items in our collection that help us tell the stories of the people and communities who have lived in the Cambridgeshire Fens. Our museum displays objects ranging from ploughs, to diaries, to eel hives... alongside a few tractors and a combine harvester. Every object tells a story and you might be surprised at what you discover!
We welcome the opportunity to add new items to our collection and are grateful to everyone who thinks of our museum as a place to donate historic objects. Unfortunately, we simply cannot accept every object offered to us, usually due to limitations on storage, because we already have one, or because it doesn't meet the terms of our collecting policy.
If you have an object that you would be interested in donating to The Farmland Museum, please contact us via email at info@farmlandmuseum.org.uk or give us a call on 01223 860 988
Please provide us with as much information as you can about the object(s), including:
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- How did you acquire this object(s)
- How, where and when was the object used
- A photo or detailed description of the object(s) including object dimensions
We will try to get back to you as soon as possible, but this may take a few weeks as we are a very small team and we receive many offers for donation. We may ask you to bring the object(s) to the museum for a closer look before deciding if we can accept it into the collection.
Please get in touch with us in advance before bringing the object(s) to the museum. As we are a small team, we cannot guarantee that someone will be able to see you and we do not want you to have a wasted journey. Please do not send items through the post or leave them at the museum anonymously.
The Farmland Museum team is continually planning future stories and exhibits, so it may be some time before an object is publicly displayed. While in storage, it will be cared for, catalogued and available for research and loan to other museums.
The Farmland Museum cannot accept objects that contain hazardous materials and substances (e.g. asbestos, explosives, radioactive material, flammable items, and poisonous or potential carcinogens).
We will not accept duplications of objects already in our collection unless it will fulfil a significant need.
Our collection is focused on objects used or made in Cambridgeshire, primarily in the areas around Denny Abbey, most notably Chittering, Waterbeach and Landbeach.
We welcome enquiries from researchers who would like to access the stored collection. If you are interested in using our collection for research, please contact us at info@farmlandmuseum.org.uk or 01223 860 988 to book an appointment. As we are a small team, access may be restricted to specific days or take a short time to arrange.
By booking ahead and providing us with details of your project, we will be able to find relevant items for your research from our stores and prepare them for your arrival.
Are you interested in using our collection for educational purposes?
We have a fantastic collection of objects that can be loaned out for talks and educational visits, as well as our reminiscence boxes that are available to be used by care homes or community groups. We can also offer talks and tours led by knowledgable tour guides.
Have a question?
If you cannot find the answer you are looking for, or have more questions for the collections team, contact us and we will get back to you.
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