Radstock Museum in

Radstock Radstock is a town and civil parish on the northern slope of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, about south-west of Bath and north-west of Frome. It is within the area of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset. The Radstoc ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England has a range of exhibits which offer an insight into North

life since the nineteenth century.

History

The museum was originally opened in 1989 in barns in Haydon. The museum moved to its current site in the restored and converted Victorian Market Hall, a grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

dating from 1897 which was opened on 10 July 1999 by

Loyd Grossman Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British author, broadcaster and cultural campaigner who has mainly worked in the United Kingdom. He is well known for presenting the BBC programme ''MasterChef'' from 1990 to 20 ...

Exhibits

Many of the exhibits relate to the now disused local Somerset Coalfield and

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

. The geology exhibits including fossils found locally particularly relate to the work of William Smith, who was known as "the Father of English Geology", and spent much of his early career in the local area. Other areas include aspects of local history including home life, schools and shops, and industries such as

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, a forge, and a printers. Artefacts and memorabilia of the

Somerset Coal Canal The Somerset Coal Canal (originally known as the Somersetshire Coal Canal) was a narrow canal in England, built around 1800. Its route began in basins at Paulton and Timsbury, ran to nearby Camerton, over two aqueducts at Dunkerton, through a ...

, Somerset and Dorset and Great Western Railways are also on display. Religious life in the area is represented with exhibits related to John Wesley who founded

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

and John Skinner who, as well as being rector of Camerton was also an archaeologist and antiquarian.

References

External links

Radstock Museum
* {{Authority control Radstock History of Somerset Industry museums in England Museums in Somerset Somerset coalfield Grade II listed buildings in Bath and North East Somerset Mining museums in England Mining in Somerset History museums in Somerset Local museums in Somerset Museums established in 1989 1989 establishments in England Grade II listed museum buildings