Long Shop Museum in Leiston

The Long Shop Museum in Leiston, Suffolk, occupies part of the original Garrett works, one of the most important engineering sites of the Victorian industrial era. Founded by Richard Garrett in the 18th century, the company became world-famous for its steam engines, traction engines, trolleybuses and agricultural machinery, exporting across the British Empire and beyond.

The centrepiece of the museum is the Long Shop itself, built in 1853, widely regarded as one of the earliest purpose-built flow-line production halls in the world. Heavy traction engines moved through the building on rails as they were assembled, with overhead galleries allowing components to be fitted from above. It is now a Grade II* listed scheduled monument.

Galleries inside the works display restored Garrett steam engines, an original trolleybus, agricultural implements and archive material covering more than 200 years of company history. Visitors can climb to the upper galleries for views down onto the engines, and exhibitions explore the lives of the Leiston workforce. The museum is a short walk from Leiston town centre and pairs well with a visit to nearby Sizewell beach.