Radstock Museum, Waterloo Road, Radstock, BA3 3EP
The Radstock, Midsomer Norton and District Museum Society was founded in 1985 to preserve the social and industrial heritage of the communities of the Somerset Coalfield. The first issue of ’Five Arches’,
the Journal of the Society, appeared in 1986. The Society’s Collection was first put on permanent display at Barton Meade, Haydon, in 1989.
About Radstock Museum
In 1996 the old Radstock Market Hall was acquired and three years later, on 10th July 1999, Radstock Museum opened its doors and became the new home of The Society’s Collection.
Run by a team of dedicated volunteers who have searched history books, archives and memories of local people, the Museum has been described as the jewel in the West Country’s crown.
Radstock Museum celebrates the lifestyle of the typical Somerset coalminer.
The Museum illustrates not only the home life of the mining families, but also the vibrant social, commercial and industrial structure of the past two hundred years.
Dedicated areas demonstrate the coalface and the miner’s hard, dangerous working conditions. Shop at the Co-op as his wife did over 70 years ago, relive the trepidation felt by his children in the strict Victorian Board School, see how the community life centred round the twin pleasures of the church and the pub.
His sporting activities focussed on football, quoits and pigeon-racing – all well documented within the Museum. The Friendly Societies formed the safety net for the mining community in times of need and pit disasters. The Great Western Railway and the Somerset & Dorset Railway, which superseded the Somersetshire Coal Canal, impacted greatly on the community, with Radstock/GWR Station adjacent to the Market Hall.
Group Visits & Room Hire: Group visits can be arranged outside normal Museum opening times; daytime and evenings. The Museum can also be hired for meetings and business functions outside normal opening times. We have a range of facilities available including audio / visual equipment and can provide catering according to your requirements. Please contact Nick Turner on 01761 437722 or email the Museum for more information.
The Museum is now closed for the winter, reopening on February 1stOpening Times:
Tuesday to Friday inclusive, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays: 2pm to 5pm
Saturday: 11am to 5pm
Closed Mondays except for Bank Holidays
Closed December and January
There is free parking nearby in Waterloo Road
All areas of the Museum are accessible by disabled visitors and there are two parking spaces for blue badge holders immediately outside the main entrance
Admission Charges:
Adults: £5.00
Children 6 - 16: £3.50 Senior Citizens/Students: £2.50
Free admission for children aged 5 and under and helpers for the disabled
Family Ticket: £12.00 (2 adults and 2 children)
Groups: £4.00 per head - minimum number 15
Schools: £3.00 per pupil. Teachers admitted free (see Education page for more detail
Children aged 6 to 16 years/Students/Senior Citizens: £2.50
Free admission for children aged 5 and under and helpers for the disabled
Family Ticket: £10.00 (2 adults and 2 children)
Groups: £3.00 per person - minimum number 15
Schools: (per pupil) £2.50 Teachers admitted free