The Cromwell Museum, housed in the former grammar school where Oliver Cromwell studied as a boy, tells the story of the man who commanded Parliament's army during the English Civil War, ordered the execution of King Charles I, and ruled England as Lord Protector from 1653 until his death in 1658. The building itself dates to the 12th century and has served as a school, a court, and a prison before becoming a museum.
The collection focuses on portraits, personal items, and documents from Cromwell's life. The portrait collection is excellent — more than a dozen paintings of Cromwell from different points in his life, including several from the studio of Peter Lely, hang alongside portraits of his associates and opponents. The museum also holds a remarkable mace from the Interregnum period and several items of Cromwell's personal kit.
The museum is free to enter and takes about an hour. It is a thoughtful place that neither lionises nor demonises one of the most controversial figures in British history — unusually fair for a local museum devoted to its most famous son.