Norfolk museums celebrate record visitor numbers

Norwich Castle Museum. Credit: ITV News Anglia.

There has been a big increase in the number of people visiting Norfolk's museums.

A record-breaking 426,110 people went to those run by the museums service over the last year, with a major exhibition on Lord Nelson helping Norwich Castle attract over half of those.

Great Yarmouth's Time & Tide Museum also saw a big spike in visitors, attracting a record 45,219 people - an increase of 22 per cent.

Across the 10 sites run by Norfolk Museums Service there was a nine per cent rise in visitors between April 2017 and March 2018.

The Nelson exhibition at Norwich Castle attracted thousands of visitors. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Major exhibitions in Norfolk this year included 'Nelson & Norfolk' at Norwich Castle and 'Rembrandt: Lightening the Darkness' .

All but one of the museums had higher numbers than the previous year:

  • Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery; 222,260 (2016/17: 205,223)

  • Museum of Norwich; 17,328 (2016/17: 14,271)

  • Strangers Hall, Norwich; 11,360 (2016/17: 9,735)

  • Tolhouse Museum, Great Yarmouth; 4,147 (2016/17: 3,626)

  • Elizabethan House Museum, Great Yarmouth; 10,558 (2016/17: 9,428)

  • Time & Tide Museum, Great Yarmouth; 45,219 (2016/17: 37,079)

  • Cromer Museum; 14,393 (2016/17: 14,203)

  • Lynn Museum; 16,403 (2016/17: 14,775)

  • Ancient House, Thetford; 9,654 (2016/17: 10,409)

  • Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse; 66,021 (2016/17: 61,197)