King John's Hunting Lodge Museum
Free volunteer-run local history museum in a timber-framed wool merchant's house of about 1460 on the square in Axbridge.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
King John's Hunting Lodge is a jettied, three-storey timber-framed house on the town square in Axbridge, built around 1460 as a wool merchant's house. The name is a mystery: the building is far younger than King John, who died in 1216, and the title only appears in print in 1915. It may refer to a carved king's head from the time when the King's Head Inn occupied part of the building; the head is now kept inside and a replica hangs on the outside.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the house held a series of shops and slowly decayed. A Miss Ripley bought it in 1930 and used it to store her antiques, opening it to the public once a year until 1968. She left it to the National Trust in 1971, and the Trust repaired it and recreated the arcaded shop fronts of the ground floor. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The house is leased by the National Trust to the Axbridge and District Museum Trust, a group of volunteers who run it as a local museum. Each room has its own theme, including life in the Second World War, law and order, and local geology and archaeological finds from nearby caves, with objects from the Neolithic onwards. Displays are reviewed regularly and there is a programme of temporary exhibitions.
Highlights
- Timber-framed wool merchant's house of about 1460
- Original 15th-century oak staircase
- Neolithic flint flake from Ebbor Gorge and cave finds
- Displays on Second World War life and on law and order
- Carved king's head from the former King's Head Inn
Permanent exhibition
- Axbridge local history and geology – Themed rooms on local life, law and order, the Second World War, geology and archaeological finds from nearby caves.
- Operated by
- Axbridge and District Museum Trust (building owned by the National Trust)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is free; the museum relies on donations from visitors and its Friends.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The building dates from the 15th century. The upper two floors are reached by a spiral staircase and are not suitable for visitors with limited mobility. The ground floor has wheelchair access, with a screen and a booklet that show some of the exhibits from the upper floors.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
A bus runs between Weston-super-Mare and Wells and stops at Axbridge. The nearest railway station listed by the National Trust is Worle, about 8 miles away.
Cycle route 126 runs from Weston-super-Mare (12 miles) through Axbridge to Wells.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Run entirely by volunteers. Open mornings for home educators are held from time to time; contact the museum by email. |
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