The Museum of Somerset, Taunton, Somerset
Take a break from the busy streets when you’re visiting Taunton on your large group holidays in the South West, and while away a couple of hours or so at The Museum Of Somerset. Even the setting has eons of history – the museum is housed in a 12th century castle, and oh, if those walls could speak!
Wander through the 9 galleries and you’ll understand the immensity of Somerset’s timeline, from the creation of the landscape over 400 million years and the first Anglo-Saxon settlers, to the vast discoveries of the 19th century and how the area gradually became less isolated as the county’s towns grew. Find out all about the part that Somerset played in the ill-fated Monmouth Rebellion, see the 80,000 year old Banwell Bear skull found in caves in the Mendip Hills, and from the 4th century AD, the almost complete Roman mosaic depicting the tragic love story of Dido and Aeneas. Equally fascinating are the Boneshaker Bicycle and The Giant’s Shoes, and for those with an interest in wars and battles, The Somerset Military Museum.
When you’ve finished looking round, go to the café and order a pot of tea and a cake and if the sun is shining sit out in the courtyard and reflect upon all that new found knowledge.
Open: Weds to Sat 10.00am-5.00pm
T: 01823 255088 All information correct at the time of writing