Bath Hotel Jug
Trade, tourism & commercial goings-on that made their mark on Felixstowe & beyond
Resort meets Port
Take a look at the Commerce Collection at Felixstowe Museum Landguard.
Resort, port and so much more… Throughout history Felixstowe’s geographical location – between the Rivers Orwell and Stour and the River Deben, marked by Felixstowe Ferry at its estuary – has ensured its place as an important centre of commerce and trade.
Shipping and merchant trading, tourism and the visitor economy, the day-to-day commercial goings on of a busy town serving the retail and trade needs of both resident and seasonal populations… With so many strands to Felixstowe, it’s hard to put your finger on where our Commerce Collection starts and our Social Collection ends. The inevitable overlap is all part of Felixstowe’s fascinating story.
Felixstowe – the gateway to prosperity
Kings and merchants as far back as the Middle Ages built their ships on all these rivers – the area of Felixstowe alongside the Deben estuary is still know as Kings Fleet. On the Orwell estuary, Tudor monarchs built their ships at Harwich, whilst Felixstowe harbours at Landguard developed in recent times to be counted amongst the biggest in the world.
The rivers became highways for international trade and, as a collection of beautiful Medieval coins found on the museum’s doorstep shows, Felixstowe was an important East Anglian gateway to prosperity.
Here’s a quick peek at what awaits & more
We thought we’d share just a small stack of interesting artefacts from our Commerce Collection …
Bath Hotel Gazunder
Pinball machine
Paddle Steamer Saloon Chair
Wiseman’s Handyvan
By sea …. & rail
In the 19th century, Felixstowe commercial status increased with the establishment of the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company – the forerunner of the mighty Port of Felixstowe that operates today.
Alongside these impressive maritime developments, Felixstowe also boomed as a thriving spa resort. Steamboats transported visitors to destinations up and down the coast. With the arrival of the railways in Victorian times and the introduction of the Bank Holiday Act that soon followed, more and more people travelled to discover the joys and benefits of a day at the seaside.
Support industries around a much-loved resort
Many grand hotels and residences were built to accommodate visitors who flocked to Felixstowe. Entertainments such as arcades, theatres and music halls, walks and pleasure gardens grew up, and shopkeepers kept up with trends supplying everyone with their daily needs.
Our Victorian shop display provides a glimpse into the Felixstowe’s commercial past and our beautifully renovated delivery van bears one of the many local names that survived well into the 20th century. Look out for other local business names on some of the buildings when you are walking around our historic town.
