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Mr Straw's House
Ordinary house, extraordinary home
5-7 Blyth Grove, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S81 0JG
Important notice
Mr Straw's House is now closed while the team carry out its annual winter clean. It will reopen to the public on Thursday 7 March. Keep in touch through our social media channels: Instagram @mrstrawshousent and Facebook @mrstrawshouse
Opening times for 6 December 2023
Asset Opening time Mr Straw's House Closed MTWTFSS2728293012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031OpenPartially openClosedAdmission 2023
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £8.00 Child £4.00 Family £20.00 1 adult, 2 children £16.00 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Assistance dogs only
Plant shop
Cacti grown in the greenhouse at Mr Straw's House are available to purchase.
Book shop
Toilet
Original privy space used for toilets. Step up into each toilet. No accessible toilet.
Car park
Free parking in the orchard.
Several flights of steep stairs inside both houses. Steps to access back gardens and greenhouse.
Accessible route and/or map
Alternative, accessible route on request.
Large print (guide or menu)
Large print guide available.
Braille (guide or menu)
Braille guide available.
Narrow corridors
Designated parking
Parking is in the Orchard opposite the house.
Steps/uneven terrain
Several flights of steep stairs inside both houses. Steps to access back gardens and greenhouse.
Drop-off point
It is possible to have a drop off on the street in front of the property if required, before parking in the car park.
By road
Follow signs for Bassetlaw Hospital. Blyth Grove is a small private road off the B6045 Blyth Road, just south of Bassetlaw Hospital entrance. Out of courtesy to local residents, please park only in the car park.
Parking: Free car park in the orchard opposite the house. Please come to reception at 5 Blyth Grove on arrival.
On foot
Approximately 20-30 minutes walk from Worksop town centre. Follow signs for North Nottinghamshire College and Bassetlaw Hospital. Blyth Grove is a small private road north of the college and south of the hospital off the B6045 Blyth Road. Please come to reception at 5 Blyth Grove on arrival.
By train
Worksop ½ mile with regular services from Sheffield, Lincoln and Nottingham. Turn left out of the train station. Follow signs for North Nottinghamshire College and Bassetlaw Hospital. Blyth Grove is a small private road north of the college and south of the hospital off the B6045 Blyth Road. Please come to reception at 5 Blyth Grove on arrival.
By bus
Stagecoach services 22/25 between Worksop and Doncaster and 42/43 between Worksop and Retford and TM Travel service 34 between Worksop, Retford and Tuxford stop on Blyth Road close to Blyth Grove. Please come to reception at 5 Blyth Grove on arrival.
By bicycle
NCN6, ¾ mile. Blyth Grove is a small private road off the B6045 Blyth Road south of Bassetlaw Hospital entrance. Please come to reception at 5 Blyth Grove on arrival.
Highlights
The house
Preserved 1920s period home of a grocers family, virtually unchanged since the Straws moved here in 1923. See over 30,000 treasured possessions exactly where their owner's left them.
Fashionable Family
In 2023, explore a hundred years of fashion, inspired by the anniversary of the Straws moving into the house. We are peeling back the layers to look at how a turn-of-the-century, middle-class family dressed and furnished their house to impress, and how their sense of style impacted the lives that they led.
The garden & greenhouse
The lovingly tended back garden offers visitors a quiet oasis and features a greenhouse housing Walter Straw's cacti collection.
Monthly Worksop Walk
Join us on the last Friday of the month for a guided walk through Worksop, the town the Straw family called home, and discover the places where the Straws worked, worshipped and wandered. Booking required.
Things to see and do
Article
The garden and beyond at Mr Straw's House
Find out about the great outdoors both near and far through the Straws’ love of cacti and homegrown produce, and their interest in walking through town and the local rights of way.
Top trails
Trail
Worksop walk from Mr Straw's House
Walk through Worksop from Mr Straw's House, taking in the places the Straw Family walked, worshipped and worked.
Places to stay
Carburton Lodge South
A stylishly restored gate lodge with after-hours access to Clumber Park.
Kitchen Garden Cottage
Tucked away in the heart of Clumber Park, between the walled garden and the cricket ground, Kitchen Garden Cottage is the perfect base from which to explore this country estate.
4 Stable Yard Cottage
Stay on the Hardwick estate in this restored stableyard building with room for six people.
About Mr Straw's House
Step back in time to the 1920s and discover how a grocer's family lived in a Midlands market town through their furnishings and household objects.
The modest semi-detached house at number 7, Blyth Grove has remained virtually unchanged since the Straws moved here in 1923. For over 60 years they threw little away and chose to live without many of the modern comforts we take for granted today.
Treasured possessions and ordinary domestic items can still be seen exactly where their owners left them in number 7, while number 5 provides space for displaying objects normally hidden inside drawers and cupboards.
Outside, the lovingly tended garden and orchard includes a greenhouse housing Walter Straw's cacti collection and various fruit trees once used by the family to make preserves and other recipes.
History
Article
The history of Mr Straw's House
Find out more about this unassuming red-brick semi which, once inside, reveals a house frozen in time filled with a treasure chest of objects and memories from inter-war Britain.
Art and collections
Article
Collection highlights at Mr Straw's House
Discover more about some of the collection highlights from Mr Straw’s House, a house frozen in time and containing a mix of treasured possessions and ordinary domestic items.
Our work
Article
Our work at Mr Straw's House
From daily cleans to deep cleans and knitted slippers to coal bags, find out how the team care for the 30,000 objects squeezed into this ordinary house, but extraordinary home.
Support us
Article
Volunteer opportunities at Mr Straw's House
Find out more about volunteering at Mr Straw’s House and how you can play your part in caring for this little gem in the heart of Worksop.