The building dates from 1764 and was the parish workhouse. In 1886, a new union workhouse was built in Fairmile, so this building was sold to the vicar of Christchurch Priory, the Reverend T. H. Bush, who named it ‘The Red House’ for the colour of its bricks.

Becoming a museum

Later a local collector called Herbert Druitt turned the workhouse into a private museum to showcase his collections of textiles, fashion, and historical artifacts.

The museum has been open to the public since 1951 and operated by Hampshire Cultural Trust since 2014.

How to get here

The postcode of this site is: BH23 1BU 

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