We visited True’s Yard which is dedicated to the heritage of the fisherfolk who lived in the North End of the town. The storytelling here allows for the experience and imagination to come to life, with visual props and real-life accounts. There are two children’s trail sheets which are age appropriate, in addition to a backpack of activities you can complete as you go around the museum.

Zachary and Eliza particularly loved the old one-up-one-down fishermen’s cottages, built in the late 18^th century, and restored and furnished to give a snapshot of life here. They were shocked to discover that up to 11 family members lived in one of them, with eight children sharing the bed. In the yard adjacent to the cottages stands Activity, a fishing smack sailed from the dock nearby which allowed the fishermen to earn a living. 

The smokehouse, which is also in the yard, is the only one known to have survived in Lynn. This was particularly striking with the tall roof, blackened brickwork and information boards explaining how the catch would have been prepared and smoked. Eliza was unimpressed with the ‘authentic’ aroma, but there was a ‘pong’ rating included on the trail sheet which provided some giggles. There are also several interactive activities here which allowed for variation from the fact-finding element to the trail.