Postal Museum and Mail Rail London

Published on: 13/11/19

The Postal Museum in Clerkenwell, central London, is a relatively new attraction hoping to get a slice of the capital’s huge tourism business.

Opened in 2017 and run by the Postal Heritage Trust, the museum takes visitors on a journey through five centuries of fascinating social and communications history, with both permanent and temporary exhibits and interactive workshops on offer.

The Original Social Network

The permanent exhibition at the museum celebrates Britain’s postal network, bringing people together from all over the world long before Facebook was a twinkle in Mark Zuckerburg’s eye. Check out the quirky vehicles that have been used to deliver post over the years, dress up in colourful uniforms and see how Victorians hid their messages of love in cryptic Valentine’s cards.

There’s also a cute post-themed indoor play area for kids under 8, which is a mini town of streets, buildings, pulleys, slides and chutes for them to role-play to their heart’s content!

The Great Train Robbery Exhibition

The Great Train Robbery was called ‘great’ for a reason, as it was one of the most audacious crimes in Britain’s history. A gang of 15 stole the equivalent of £53.5 million in today’s money from a Royal Mail train in 1963, most of which was never recovered.

The Postal Museum has a special exhibition running until April 2020 which tells the role of the Post Office’s own investigation into the robbery, as well as sharing the stories of the victims through first-hand accounts and rarely seen artefacts.

Crime Scene Investigation Workshop

If you fancy yourself a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, put your investigative skills to the test to solve a murder case in this hands-on workshop. You’ll be able to help identity victims using real bones and examine clues like fingerprints and blood splatters.

The workshop is designed to complement the Great Train Robbery exhibition and is part of Crime Season at the museum. You can also listen to a talk by a real-life private investigator!

Crafty Workshops

The Postal Museum has loads of workshops happening in the run up to Christmas, including modern calligraphy lessons and scented cards workshops to help you make your Christmas cards extra special this year!

You can even make your own gift wrap and tags in their paper printing workshop to give your presents a truly personal touch.

Abandoned Underground Railway

A while back we wrote a post about a forgotten gem in London’s history – a secret underground railway that ran under the streets on London for 75 years. Opened to the public for the first time in 2017, the mini railway now takes visitors on a 15-minute subterranean journey.

At its peak the miniature train would carry an incredible 4 million letters every day! As well as the actual train ride you can take travel back to the 1930s to the railways’ lively heyday with an immersive theatrical experience.

There’s so much to write home about at the Postal Museum, so why not plan your visit today?

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