A former museum curator is opening an antiques shop in Swaffham filled with treasures dating back hundreds of years.

Alex Wright curated the Swaffham Bellarmine Museum for seven years, showcasing his extensive collection of Bellarmine jugs that he had collected over 50 years.

When the museum closed in 2023, Mr Wright was unsure what to do with his inventory and eventually decided that launching an antiques shop would be the best next step.

Watton & Swaffham Times: The shop will open for a trial run next weekThe shop will open for a trial run next week (Image: Alex Wright)

Mr Wright will open Antiques of London Street for a trial run next week ahead of its official launch on March 27.

The shop will offer a range of Bellarmines which Mr Wright has always been fascinated with and has written books about in the past.

READ MORE: WEIRD NORFOLK: The Swaffham Bellarmine museum where you can see witch bottles and buried treasure 

Made from grey clay and manufactured along the Rhine River from the 16th to early 19th centuries, Bellarmines were exported to the UK in their millions due to their superior liquid-holding potential.

"There have been lots of uses for them and there are loads of stories out there about them," he explained.

Watton & Swaffham Times: Bellarmine face masks from Mr Wright's inventoryBellarmine face masks from Mr Wright's inventory (Image: Denise Bradley)

"For example, they used to be used as witch bottles - they were buried in halves under peoples' doormats to prevent witches coming in."

Mr Wright has also collected a range of jugs and pots - the oldest of which date back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

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As a man whose family has lived in Swaffham for three generations, Mr Wright said it meant a lot to him to be able to open a shop in the town.

"It feels right to do this because Swaffham was always known for its antiques," he said.

Watton & Swaffham Times: One of the Bellarmines had been lost at seaOne of the Bellarmines had been lost at sea (Image: Denise Bradley)

"There were dozens of them but they have dwindled over the last 20 years or so.

"The shop we are opening used to be an antique shop, too, and then it was a bookshop for 20 years."

Antiques of London Street will be officially open on March 27 from 10am until 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 9am until 4pm on Saturdays.