Radstock Museum
Museum in a Victorian market hall telling the story of the Somerset coalfield, with a walk-through coal seam, a miner's cottage and a railway model.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Radstock Museum celebrates the heritage of the former Somerset coalfield, which is now disused. The museum first opened in 1989 in barns at nearby Haydon, and in 1999 it moved to its present home in central Radstock, a restored Victorian market hall from about 1897, which is listed Grade II. It is run as a registered charity with the help of volunteers.
Displays recreate everyday life in the coalfield with a miner's cottage, a village shop, a village school and a blacksmith's forge. A walk-through coal seam shows the cramped and dangerous conditions in which men and boys worked in seams that were sometimes only two feet high. A scale model of Radstock's two railway stations and exhibits on the Somerset Coal Canal, the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway and the Great Western Railway explain how coal was moved and how other local industries grew.
The museum also looks at people with local links, among them the geologist William Smith, known as the father of English geology, the preacher John Wesley, the diarist and archaeologist John Skinner and the rector Horatio Nelson-Ward. A unique archive of documents and photographs on the coalfield is held at the museum, and a changing exhibition on a local subject, currently the Somersetshire Coal Canal, is also shown.
Highlights
- Walk-through coal seam showing conditions underground
- Recreated miner's cottage, village shop, school and blacksmith's forge
- Scale model of Radstock's two railway stations
- Exhibits on the Somerset Coal Canal and local railways
- Fossils and displays on the geologist William Smith
- Railway-themed tea room and museum shop
Permanent exhibition
- Somerset coalfield life – Recreated miner's cottage, village shop, school and blacksmith's, a walk-through coal seam and a model of Radstock's railway stations.
- Founded
- 1989
- Operated by
- Radstock Museum (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £6Seniors aged 65 and over and students aged 16 and over |
| Children & teens | £3free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 15; children aged 5 and under are free. |
| Seniors | £6Aged 65 and over. |
| Students & apprentices | £6Students aged 16 and over. |
| Groups (15+ people) | £5 per personSingle entry only; groups of 15 or more must book in advance by phone or email. |
| Families | £172 adults and 3 children. |
Tickets are valid for 12 months and allow unlimited visits; re-entry needs the signed ticket, and tickets are not transferable. B&NES Discovery Card holders get 50p off adult, senior and student tickets (not family or group tickets).
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Each floor has level access, a lift serves the upper galleries and an accessible toilet is on the ground floor; seating is provided throughout and information boards use pictures and large print. The museum currently cannot offer assisted evacuation from the upper floor in a fire, so visitors who cannot use the stairs are advised to visit the ground floor only. A designated disabled bay is in front of the entrance, with more spaces in the Waterloo Road car park. A visual guide to both floors can be downloaded. Working assistance dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £17 · 2 adults and 3 children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
Free permanent trails (Amy Ammonite and Bob the Coal Miner) and seasonal trails such as an October half-term beetle trail, plus fossils to look at, a dressing-up box and smell boxes. The museum is described as wheelchair and pushchair friendly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
About 26 minutes by bus from central Bath, with regular services from Bath, Bristol, Wells, Frome and Shepton Mallet; First Bus routes 172, 173, 174 and 522 from Bath stop in Radstock. The nearest railway stations are in Bath and Frome, from where a bus continues to Radstock.
By car
Parking available
Waterloo Road car park (sat nav BA3 5FW) and Church Street car park (BA3 3QQ), both free for up to 2 hours with a ticket or the MiPermit app; longer stays cost more. The private land next to the museum is reserved for neighbouring residents.
- Accessible parking
The museum is in central Radstock opposite the old pit wheel, close to the A367. It lies near National Cycle Route 24 (Collier's Way between Bath and Frome), and bike racks are directly opposite the entrance.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
The railway-themed Tea Room next to the museum shop serves speciality teas, coffee, cakes and snacks during museum hours (last service 16:30) and offers free Wi-Fi to customers. The museum shop sells local heritage books, cards, gifts and souvenirs.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Photos and video for personal, non-commercial use are allowed; no flash or tripods, and people must not be photographed without their permission. |
| Good to know | School and educational visits are arranged through the museum's education volunteer, and the museum welcomes group visits. Only working assistance dogs are allowed inside. |
