March 2026

Small, local museums are always interesting because they focus on the local industries and social history. Braintree Museum, housed in an old school complete with the wooden desks with lift up tops, is a great example of a local museum.

What is Braintree famous for, you might ask? Crittall Windows were established to provide an alternative for high maintenance wooden sash windows. By defining standard sizes linked to the other building materials they were able to provide a cost effective, durable product.

What else happened in Braintree - well it was an area of renowned weavers so Courtaulds and others established factories to produce textiles initially in silk or fine cotton, but later in artificial silk.

With an opportunity to speak to one of the curating staff and learn more about some of the exhibits, we all enjoyed exploring at our own speed.