Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History

A small museum housed in Fakenham's former town gasworks, a Scheduled Monument where coal was once heated to make town gas. Visitors can see the retorts, condensers, washers, purifiers, meter and gasholder that made the gas, and walk around the site with the volunteers who run it. Upstairs and alongside the industrial equipment, the displays cover gas street lamps and a good collection of domestic appliances, including cookers, water heaters, stoves and fires, which many children find surprising. There are also rooms of local history about the market town and its surroundings. The visit is a relaxed, low-key outing that suits older children interested in how things worked, and families with a history interest. Allow about an hour. Group visits and school trips can be arranged outside the usual opening days.