Red House Museum and Gardens | Hampshire Cultural Trust
Source: https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/red-house-museum-and-gardens
Archived: 2026-04-23 15:36
Red House Museum and Gardens | Hampshire Cultural Trust
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Red House Museum and Gardens
Admission free
Today's opening hours: 10:00 - 16:00
A former Georgian workhouse, the Red House is now a museum exploring the story of Christchurch from before the Ice Age to modern times.
Find out about the town’s ancient past with our displays about Saxon princes and Iron Age dwellers at Hengistbury Head, then take a glimpse at life in the 19th century in our Victorian bygone gallery. In our family area, you’ll find hands-on activities and dressing-up costumes, as well as quizzes and spotter trails.
There are plenty of corners to escape to at the museum, including our charming herb garden and south garden, which holds unexpected dinosaur surprises. The Red House has a charming shop with a wide selection of gifts to browse or buy and the café is the perfect setting for a bite to eat or something to drink, inside or out. Throughout the year, we also run a programme of fun, family-friendly events.
Things to do
The museum is a great place for the whole family to enjoy. Here are just a few of the things you can do during your visit:
Visit the bygone galleries and learn about the social and industrial life of Christchurch
Discover the local history resource area and browse through more than 50,000 photographs
Explore the gardens and admire the view of Christchurch Priory
Spot the objects around the museum with our fun activity sheets
Browse the museum shop and visit our welcoming café.
The workhouse
The building dates from 1764 and was the parish workhouse for Christchurch and Bournemouth. In 1886, as a result of the increasing population, a new union workhouse was built in Fairmile and the old house was sold to the vicar of Christchurch Priory, the Reverend T. H. Bush. Reverend Bush named the building ‘The Red House’ after the colour of the bricks and he demolished the women’s wards in 1887 to construct the stables, now the temporary exhibition gallery. Later, the building became the private museum of Herbert Druitt, an avid local collector. It was his passion for textile and fashion, bygones and archaeological material that created the Red House Museum collections. In 1951, the Red House Museum became a charitable trust and our doors have been open to the public ever since.
Historic Christchurch galleries
The bygones galleries show the social and industrial life of Victorian and Edwardian Christchurch. Our kitchen fireplace dates back to the days of the workhouse. The museum also explores the town’s traditional trades and crafts including the manufacture of ‘fusee’ watch chains which employed many of the inmate children and women of the workhouse. More recent local innovations are also displayed including Christchurch’s aero industry and the world famous Bailey Bridge.
A million years of history
Upstairs our archaeological galleries uncover the stories of the lower Avon and Stour valleys from the Bronze Age to Iron Age Hengistbury Head. The display culminates with the princely Saxon burial goods from Bargates, marking the beginning of the establishment of Tweoxneam, now known as Christchurch.
Local history resource
Upstairs you will find our local history resource area where over 50,000 photographs and associated archives are stored. The images capture the Victorian period to the recent past, documenting life in Christchurch.
Exhibition gallery
Throughout the year, the exhibition gallery showcases the best local art, family-friendly exhibitions and touring shows. This fantastic space is also used for workshops and special events and can be hired out for private functions.
Bring your own cup
Get 30p off your next hot drink in the museum café when you bring your own reusable cup! Simply present your cup to a member of café staff to claim your discount.
Your Visit
Admission
Admission to the Red House Museum is free and there is no need to pre-book.
Please check our opening dates and times before you visit.
Café and picnics
Hot and cold drinks, ice creams and snacks are available to buy at the museum. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic which can be eaten in the museum grounds.
Bring your own cup!
Get 30p off your hot drink in the museum café when you bring your own reusable cup! Simply present your cup to a member of staff to claim your discount.
Accessibility
The museum has wheelchair access to the ground floor, café, exhibition space and garden areas. There are some small steps to negotiate while moving between these areas.
Assistance dogs are welcome, as long as they are clearly identifiable.
Group and school visits
We welcome group visits to Red House Museum and Gardens. Please call us on 01202 482860 for more details and to book your group visit.
How to get here
By car: the museum is beside Christchurch Priory. Follow brown signs which lead to nearby car parks.There is one hour free parking outside the museum and a pay and display car park at the end of Quay Road.
By public transport: Christchurch railway station is a 10 minute walk from the museum. Yellow Buses and red Wilts and Dorset buses pass through Christchurch High Street. Stops are less than a 5 minute walk away, follow tourist signs.
Venue hire
Red House Museum and Gardens is available for events,
functions, meetings and wedding receptions. As well
as an exclusive meeting room, events can be held
in our stunning gardens.
To find out more and to book, please call 01202 482860.
Friends of the Red House Museum
The Friends of the Red House was established in 1951 by a group of people who wanted to play an active part in the life of their museum. Over the last few years, interest in the Friends has grown and it has become a vibrant organisation. The Friends also play an essential part in the Red House Museum by volunteering to work in the garden and in other areas of the museum, such as documentation, transcribing and oral history recording.
In becoming a Friend, you will be making an important contribution towards preserving the rich heritage of Christchurch and you will meet others who enjoy playing a part in the life of the museum and gardens.
Joining the Friends of Red House Museum is easy and costs very little. All monies raised help the Red House Museum and you have access to a number of opportunities and benefits:
A regular newsletter that will keep you up to date with the latest news on activities the Friends are planning, together with all the latest from the museum
Discounted entry to various activities, such as lectures, and invitations to previews throughout the year
Various social and fundraising events are arranged for members and their friends. Full details are published in the newsletters
Annual subscription: £7
Joint subscription (two adults at the same address): £10
Family subscription (four people at the same address): £12
Download an application form here
.
Opening hours and facilities
Thu 23rd Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Fri 24th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Sat 25th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Sun 26th Apr:
12:00 - 16:00
Mon 27th Apr:
Closed
Tue 28th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Wed 29th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Facilities
Baby change
Café
Disabled access
Gift shop
Guide Dogs allowed
Picnic/eating area
Toilets
What's on
Friends of the Red House Museum Talks
15 Apr 2026 - 3 Jun 2026
Christchurch Through the Lens
25 Apr 2026 - 7 Jun 2026
May Revels at the Red House
Saturday 2 May 2026
View more events
How to get here
Tel:
01202 482860
Email:
Email us
Address -
View on map
Red House Museum and Gardens, Quay Rd, Christchurch, BH23 1BU
Press enquiries
Tel: 07710 093821
Email us
Support us today
Your support makes a real difference. Donate today to help our local museums, galleries and arts centres bring inspiring cultural experiences to our doorstep.
Donation added to basket
View basket
Failed to add donation
Stay connected
Red House Museum and Gardens, Christchurch
A former Georgian workhouse, the Red House is now a museum exploring the story of Christchurch from before the Ice Age to modern times.
Find out about the town’s ancient past with our displays about Saxon princes and Iron Age dwellers at Hengistbury Head, then take a glimpse at life in the 19th century in our Victorian bygone gallery. In our family area, you’ll find hands-on activities and dressing-up costumes, as well as quizzes and spotter trails.
There are plenty of corners to escape to at the museum, including our charming herb garden and south garden, which holds unexpected dinosaur surprises. The Red House has a charming shop with a wide selection of gifts to browse or buy and the café is the perfect setting for a bite to eat or something to drink, inside or out. Throughout the year, we also run a programme of fun, family-friendly events.
Sign up to our newsletter to hear about our upcoming exhibitions, events and news
Sign up
About us
About us
Our work as a charity
Meet the team
Work for us
Volunteer with us
Environment
Equity, diversity and inclusion
HCT 2030
Impact reports
What's on
All events
Children & family activities
Exhibitions
Classes
Workshops
Comedy
Music
Theatre
Visit
Aldershot Military Museum
Allen Gallery
Andover Museum
Basing House
City Space at The Arc, Winchester
Curtis Museum
Forest Arts Centre
Gosport Museum and Art Gallery
Hampshire Wardrobe
Milestones Museum
Museum of the Iron Age
Tickets
Red House Museum and Gardens
Rockbourne Roman Villa
The Arc
The Gallery at The Arc, Winchester
West End Centre
The Great Hall with Westgate Museum
Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery
Winchester City Museum
Our work
Social Impact
Children & Young People Fund
Young People - Home Education
Young People - Stepping Stones
Health and Wellbeing - Brighter Futures
Criminal Justice - HMP Winchester
Past Projects
Past Projects - 100 Thank Yous
Past Projects - Basingstoke Peace Project
Past Projects - Be the Inspiration
Past Projects - Block2block
Past Projects - Creative Wellbeing: Military Heritage
Past Projects - Create and Connect
Past Projects - Creating Change
Past Projects - Creative Boxes
Past Projects - Cultural Pathways
Past Projects - Depth of Me
Past Projects - Horizon 20:20
Past Projects - ICE Heritage
Past Projects - The ICE Project
Past Projects - Industrious Minds
Past Projects - My Gosport
Past Projects - On The Move
Past Projects - The Resilience Garden
Past Projects - Still Curious
Past Projects - Summer Arts Award
Past Projects - Welcome to Whitehill & Bordon
Culture Connects
Jane Austen 250
Collections
Buckskin & South Ham: 60 Years of Memories in Basingstoke
Data Hunters and Story Gatherers
Engert Watford Motor Museum
Hampshire Young Poets
Gosport Heritage Generator
Impact map
Shop
Ticket gift vouchers
Online shop
Education
Culture on Call
Collections
Education
News
Work for us
Contact
Skip to main content
Menu
Contact us
My account
Login
item(s)
Support us
All our venues
Museums
Aldershot Military Museum
Allen Gallery
Andover Museum
Basing House
City Museum, Winchester
City Museum, Winchester
Curtis Museum
Milestones Museum
Milestones Museum
Museum of the Iron Age
Red House Museum and Gardens
Rockbourne Roman Villa
The Great Hall with Westgate Museum
The Great Hall with Westgate Museum
Galleries
City Space
Gosport Museum and Art Gallery
The Gallery
Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery
Arts
Forest Arts Centre
Forest Arts Centre
The Arc
The Arc
West End Centre
West End Centre
Costume Hire
Hampshire Wardrobe
Red House Museum and Gardens
Admission free
Today's opening hours: 10:00 - 16:00
A former Georgian workhouse, the Red House is now a museum exploring the story of Christchurch from before the Ice Age to modern times.
Find out about the town’s ancient past with our displays about Saxon princes and Iron Age dwellers at Hengistbury Head, then take a glimpse at life in the 19th century in our Victorian bygone gallery. In our family area, you’ll find hands-on activities and dressing-up costumes, as well as quizzes and spotter trails.
There are plenty of corners to escape to at the museum, including our charming herb garden and south garden, which holds unexpected dinosaur surprises. The Red House has a charming shop with a wide selection of gifts to browse or buy and the café is the perfect setting for a bite to eat or something to drink, inside or out. Throughout the year, we also run a programme of fun, family-friendly events.
Things to do
The museum is a great place for the whole family to enjoy. Here are just a few of the things you can do during your visit:
Visit the bygone galleries and learn about the social and industrial life of Christchurch
Discover the local history resource area and browse through more than 50,000 photographs
Explore the gardens and admire the view of Christchurch Priory
Spot the objects around the museum with our fun activity sheets
Browse the museum shop and visit our welcoming café.
The workhouse
The building dates from 1764 and was the parish workhouse for Christchurch and Bournemouth. In 1886, as a result of the increasing population, a new union workhouse was built in Fairmile and the old house was sold to the vicar of Christchurch Priory, the Reverend T. H. Bush. Reverend Bush named the building ‘The Red House’ after the colour of the bricks and he demolished the women’s wards in 1887 to construct the stables, now the temporary exhibition gallery. Later, the building became the private museum of Herbert Druitt, an avid local collector. It was his passion for textile and fashion, bygones and archaeological material that created the Red House Museum collections. In 1951, the Red House Museum became a charitable trust and our doors have been open to the public ever since.
Historic Christchurch galleries
The bygones galleries show the social and industrial life of Victorian and Edwardian Christchurch. Our kitchen fireplace dates back to the days of the workhouse. The museum also explores the town’s traditional trades and crafts including the manufacture of ‘fusee’ watch chains which employed many of the inmate children and women of the workhouse. More recent local innovations are also displayed including Christchurch’s aero industry and the world famous Bailey Bridge.
A million years of history
Upstairs our archaeological galleries uncover the stories of the lower Avon and Stour valleys from the Bronze Age to Iron Age Hengistbury Head. The display culminates with the princely Saxon burial goods from Bargates, marking the beginning of the establishment of Tweoxneam, now known as Christchurch.
Local history resource
Upstairs you will find our local history resource area where over 50,000 photographs and associated archives are stored. The images capture the Victorian period to the recent past, documenting life in Christchurch.
Exhibition gallery
Throughout the year, the exhibition gallery showcases the best local art, family-friendly exhibitions and touring shows. This fantastic space is also used for workshops and special events and can be hired out for private functions.
Bring your own cup
Get 30p off your next hot drink in the museum café when you bring your own reusable cup! Simply present your cup to a member of café staff to claim your discount.
Your Visit
Admission
Admission to the Red House Museum is free and there is no need to pre-book.
Please check our opening dates and times before you visit.
Café and picnics
Hot and cold drinks, ice creams and snacks are available to buy at the museum. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic which can be eaten in the museum grounds.
Bring your own cup!
Get 30p off your hot drink in the museum café when you bring your own reusable cup! Simply present your cup to a member of staff to claim your discount.
Accessibility
The museum has wheelchair access to the ground floor, café, exhibition space and garden areas. There are some small steps to negotiate while moving between these areas.
Assistance dogs are welcome, as long as they are clearly identifiable.
Group and school visits
We welcome group visits to Red House Museum and Gardens. Please call us on 01202 482860 for more details and to book your group visit.
How to get here
By car: the museum is beside Christchurch Priory. Follow brown signs which lead to nearby car parks.There is one hour free parking outside the museum and a pay and display car park at the end of Quay Road.
By public transport: Christchurch railway station is a 10 minute walk from the museum. Yellow Buses and red Wilts and Dorset buses pass through Christchurch High Street. Stops are less than a 5 minute walk away, follow tourist signs.
Venue hire
Red House Museum and Gardens is available for events,
functions, meetings and wedding receptions. As well
as an exclusive meeting room, events can be held
in our stunning gardens.
To find out more and to book, please call 01202 482860.
Friends of the Red House Museum
The Friends of the Red House was established in 1951 by a group of people who wanted to play an active part in the life of their museum. Over the last few years, interest in the Friends has grown and it has become a vibrant organisation. The Friends also play an essential part in the Red House Museum by volunteering to work in the garden and in other areas of the museum, such as documentation, transcribing and oral history recording.
In becoming a Friend, you will be making an important contribution towards preserving the rich heritage of Christchurch and you will meet others who enjoy playing a part in the life of the museum and gardens.
Joining the Friends of Red House Museum is easy and costs very little. All monies raised help the Red House Museum and you have access to a number of opportunities and benefits:
A regular newsletter that will keep you up to date with the latest news on activities the Friends are planning, together with all the latest from the museum
Discounted entry to various activities, such as lectures, and invitations to previews throughout the year
Various social and fundraising events are arranged for members and their friends. Full details are published in the newsletters
Annual subscription: £7
Joint subscription (two adults at the same address): £10
Family subscription (four people at the same address): £12
Download an application form here
.
Opening hours and facilities
Thu 23rd Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Fri 24th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Sat 25th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Sun 26th Apr:
12:00 - 16:00
Mon 27th Apr:
Closed
Tue 28th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Wed 29th Apr:
10:00 - 16:00
Facilities
Baby change
Café
Disabled access
Gift shop
Guide Dogs allowed
Picnic/eating area
Toilets
What's on
Friends of the Red House Museum Talks
15 Apr 2026 - 3 Jun 2026
Christchurch Through the Lens
25 Apr 2026 - 7 Jun 2026
May Revels at the Red House
Saturday 2 May 2026
View more events
How to get here
Tel:
01202 482860
Email:
Email us
Address -
View on map
Red House Museum and Gardens, Quay Rd, Christchurch, BH23 1BU
Press enquiries
Tel: 07710 093821
Email us
Support us today
Your support makes a real difference. Donate today to help our local museums, galleries and arts centres bring inspiring cultural experiences to our doorstep.
Donation added to basket
View basket
Failed to add donation
Stay connected
Red House Museum and Gardens, Christchurch
A former Georgian workhouse, the Red House is now a museum exploring the story of Christchurch from before the Ice Age to modern times.
Find out about the town’s ancient past with our displays about Saxon princes and Iron Age dwellers at Hengistbury Head, then take a glimpse at life in the 19th century in our Victorian bygone gallery. In our family area, you’ll find hands-on activities and dressing-up costumes, as well as quizzes and spotter trails.
There are plenty of corners to escape to at the museum, including our charming herb garden and south garden, which holds unexpected dinosaur surprises. The Red House has a charming shop with a wide selection of gifts to browse or buy and the café is the perfect setting for a bite to eat or something to drink, inside or out. Throughout the year, we also run a programme of fun, family-friendly events.
Sign up to our newsletter to hear about our upcoming exhibitions, events and news
Sign up
About us
About us
Our work as a charity
Meet the team
Work for us
Volunteer with us
Environment
Equity, diversity and inclusion
HCT 2030
Impact reports
What's on
All events
Children & family activities
Exhibitions
Classes
Workshops
Comedy
Music
Theatre
Visit
Aldershot Military Museum
Allen Gallery
Andover Museum
Basing House
City Space at The Arc, Winchester
Curtis Museum
Forest Arts Centre
Gosport Museum and Art Gallery
Hampshire Wardrobe
Milestones Museum
Museum of the Iron Age
Tickets
Red House Museum and Gardens
Rockbourne Roman Villa
The Arc
The Gallery at The Arc, Winchester
West End Centre
The Great Hall with Westgate Museum
Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery
Winchester City Museum
Our work
Social Impact
Children & Young People Fund
Young People - Home Education
Young People - Stepping Stones
Health and Wellbeing - Brighter Futures
Criminal Justice - HMP Winchester
Past Projects
Past Projects - 100 Thank Yous
Past Projects - Basingstoke Peace Project
Past Projects - Be the Inspiration
Past Projects - Block2block
Past Projects - Creative Wellbeing: Military Heritage
Past Projects - Create and Connect
Past Projects - Creating Change
Past Projects - Creative Boxes
Past Projects - Cultural Pathways
Past Projects - Depth of Me
Past Projects - Horizon 20:20
Past Projects - ICE Heritage
Past Projects - The ICE Project
Past Projects - Industrious Minds
Past Projects - My Gosport
Past Projects - On The Move
Past Projects - The Resilience Garden
Past Projects - Still Curious
Past Projects - Summer Arts Award
Past Projects - Welcome to Whitehill & Bordon
Culture Connects
Jane Austen 250
Collections
Buckskin & South Ham: 60 Years of Memories in Basingstoke
Data Hunters and Story Gatherers
Engert Watford Motor Museum
Hampshire Young Poets
Gosport Heritage Generator
Impact map
Shop
Ticket gift vouchers
Online shop
Education
Culture on Call
Collections
Education
News
Work for us
Contact