Potters Bar Museum

Potters Bar Museum tells the story of the growth of Potters Bar from a tiny village on the Great North Road, to the thriving present day town.

History of the museum

The museum opened in 1990 and offers a delightful nostalgic jumble of items relating to Potters Bar and the local area. It is in one of the earliest known sites of interest in the area, facing the timber-framed Wyllyotts Manor, part of which dates back to the 14th century (now used as a restaurant and a public house).

There is reason to believe that the site has been occupied since the Iron Age and certainly Roman times.

What's on display

The museum contains much pottery and artefacts which were found during the construction of the Wyllyotts Centre and allows visitors to relive some of the history of the place.

It also contains many items from other sites in and around Potters Bar and from the motte-and-bailey castle at South Mimms, which for many years lay unrecognised or forgotten.

Some natural history items are also on display, together with fossils, geological specimens like Hertfordshire Pudding Stones, and a selection of Mesolithic stone implements used by the earliest known inhabitants.

Featured collections include a wide range of novelty telephones and relics of the Zeppelin L31 which was shot down over Potters Bar in 1916.

In addition, the museum has a changing temporary display every six months.

Volunteering

The museum is run entirely by volunteers and wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for members of our community who give their time freely.

We always need more volunteers so if you have a few hours a month/week or occasionally to spare, we would love your help. There is a surprising variety of activities on offer, so whatever your skills or personality, there is something for everyone volunteering at one of our museums.

Our volunteer team is a friendly and welcoming bunch. Whether you are looking to make new friends, or to add a new skill to your CV, there are many different ways to get involved:

Front of house welcoming visitors to the museum and helping them get the most of their visit
Cataloguing objects to helping with displays
Researching our past by delving into our archives to find the hidden stories
Creating and updating our online content
Helping to research, design and curate temporary exhibitions
Helping to keep the museum safe and looking at its best
Facilitating school visits and helping families get the most out of the museum and our events
Helping to research or run our reminiscence events within the local community

Our marvellous volunteers bring our local history to life. We are so proud of what they have achieved.

If you'd like to volunteer, please read our