Museum of Somerset

Set in the heart of Taunton, The Museum of Somerset lies within the 12th century Taunton Castle and tells the county’s fascinating story from prehistoric times to the present day, using real objects, interactive games, eye-catching film projections and the words and voices of Somerset people, past and present.

From an under-floor Plesiosaur, to the largest collection of Roman coins ever discovered in Britain, in a single pot, and a chilling recreation of the infamous Bloody Assizes – The Museum of Somerset is a must-see visitor attraction. It contains objects from across many of the museum’s collections, including geology, archaeology, medieval and ethnography. The museum also houses the Somerset Military Museum.

As well as the permanent galleries, the museum offers regularly changing exhibitions and activities such as family drop-in sessions and ‘talk and tea’ with curators or special guests. There is a programme of special events, including evening talks, music and outdoor theatre. 

The Museum of Somerset is part of The South West Heritage Trust; a new independent charity committed to protecting and celebrating Somerset and Devon’s rich heritage. The Trust brings together services previously provided by Somerset and Devon County Councils, who remain our main funders. Services include the widely-praised Museum of Somerset, Somerset Rural Life Museum, and state-of-the-art facilities in Taunton and Exeter to care for the extraordinary archive collections of the two counties. We also provide essential advice about the historic environment and manage historic sites including the remarkable Cothelstone Hill in Somerset.

Royal Anglian Regiment Museum

The museum is based within the Duxford Imperial War Museum complex, inside the Land Warfare Hall.  The collection covers the history of The Royal Anglian Regiment since the amalgamations of the former County Regiments of East Anglia and the East Midlands, 1958-1960.  The several amalgamations which preceded today’s regiment date back to 1685 and are well illustrated in a detailed family tree.  Exhibits include uniforms, weapons, badges and displays dedicated to particular operations on which The Regiment has been deployed.

Newport Roman Villa

Welcome to Newport Roman Villa a 1,700 year old country pile!

Discovered in 1926 when the owner of a nearby house sank foundations for a garage, subsequent excavations revealed extensive remains of a late Romano-British farmhouse built around 280 AD.

Newport Roman Villa is a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the care of the Isle of Wight Council Heritage Service.

The well-preserved remains at Newport Roman Villa provide a fascinating insight into country life in third century Britain. The Villa has a superb bath suite with, under floor heating and remnants of mosaic floors.

Sections of the Villa have been reconstructed to illustrate the building materials used; you can peep into a Roman kitchen and see a slave preparing a Roman feast.

The villa has a hands-on activity room where you can make a mosaic, repair a broken pot or weave a blanket.  Discover the plants Romans would have used in the beautiful herb garden.

You can find out more about the Roman occupation of the Isle of Wight by exploring the exhibition area, which displays artefacts found throughout the Isle of Wight.

National Waterways Museum at Gloucester Docks

Gloucester Docks, the most inland port in the country is home to old dock buildings, designer shops, cool cafes and fantastic new museums making it a great place for a family day out.

Within the complex is our award-winning National Waterways Museum, Gloucester charting the fascinating 200-year history of the docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

The Grade II listed Gloucester Waterways Museum warehouse has been renovated, refreshed and rebranded thanks to over £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund.

With fun, interactive exhibits, café, museum shop and boat trips around the dock, you’ll discover the stories of the communities that lived and continue to thrive here.

Bernera Museum

Bernera Historical Society was founded in 1991. Membership consists of residents and exiles, the activity falls into two strands: Urras Eachdraidh who have Trust status dealing with business matters and policy, the Comunn Eachdraidh arrange the social side of the Society.

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Trust members are all volunteers and along with other volunteers from the local community welcome and assist visitors to the museum.

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Bernera Museum is graded by Visit Scotland as a 4 STAR attraction and is also members of the Visit Scotland Ancestral Welcome Scheme and the Visitor Information Program.

We are also proud to be a fully Accredited Museum.

Our collection includes artifacts from the Iron Age Village dig at Bosta Beach along with information on Life in the Iron Age.

For a small island we have a lot of history and our new interpretation boards tell the story of Bernera.

Fishing is and has been an important activity on Bernera for which we have many artifacts on display. 

Family and Croft history is very important to our culture and we have extensive archives for the area.

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Gaelic is spoken by some of our volunteers and they are happy to converse with you in this beautiful language. 

Dunblane Museum

Dunblane Museum houses a collection of artefacts, paintings, prints and photographs about the Cathedral and Dunblane, and it has one of the largest collections of Communion tokens.

Thousands of visitors from all parts of the world visit during the season. They can also browse the gift shop for souvenirs and enjoy a stroll in the newly-designed garden.

Dunblane Museum is entirely run by volunteers. We rely on the contributions of visitors & supporters for the running costs of the museum, which are considerable.

Old Haa

Yell is the stepping stone island to Unst and Fetlar and is also home of the Old Haa Museum. Here, the history of the island, including the whaling years and shipwrecks are summarised along with natural history, genealogy and a picture and sound archive.

However, there is much more to the Old Haa than a museum – it is a building the community identifies with. The Old Haa has a tearoom with freshly made homebakes, a gallery, with regular displays of local art and a craft shop with locally crafted souvenirs, knitwear and commercial recordings produced in the Old Haa.

The Old Haa also has a large picnic garden for the ‘fine days’ with a boat for the children to play in. The Old Haa is inviting and homely, offering visitors detailed displays of heritage along with a warm welcome.

Prestongrange Museum

Prestongrange is a free open-air museum. With both indoor and outdoor areas it is a great place to visit no matter the weather. Please note that the museum Visitor Centre is now closed until 30th March 2018, however, you can still explore the site using the site boards and telephone tour! 

For centuries Prestongrange was a place of intense industrial activity.  A harbour, glass works, pottery, colliery and brickworks have all left their marks on the landscape.  Cradled by woodland with views out over the Forth the site is now a haven for wildlife where you are free to roam and explore monumental relics of Scotland’s industrial heritage. 

Discover giant machines such as the pit head winding gear and a Cornish beam engine, fantastic structures like the powerhouse and a vast brick kiln as well as coal wagons, a steam crane and much more besides. 

We also run a programme of unique fun events for all ages.

National Mining Museum Scotland

Welcome to National Mining Museum Scotland, a 5 Star visitor attraction and twice winner of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions “Best Visitor Experience” Award. The museum provides a great day out for all ages! We’re based at one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe, the Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange, just nine miles south of Edinburgh. Visitors to the museum will marvel at the sheer size of the place, be astounded by the engineering brilliance behind all the machinery and retrace the footsteps and struggles of the thousands of miners and their families before them.

Your experience begins with coal’s creation in the Carboniferous period 360 million years ago and follows human efforts to extract it from the earth from the 13th century through to modern times.

Find out exactly what life was like, at home and at work, for the miners and their families in Scotland’s mining communities. Activities include Find the Colliery Cats and Dress up as a Victorian.

Take a guided tour of the pithead and experience the atmosphere and noise of a working pit with the personal insights and anecdotes of our guides, all of whom are ex-miners. Tours are available throughout the day.

Marvel at the 40ft coal shearers, the massive winding en from Frances Colliery in Fife, underground carriages, cages, locomotives and much more!

Pier Arts Centre

The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, Orkney was established in 1979 to provide a home for an important collection of British fine art donated by the author, peace activist and philanthropist Margaret Gardiner (1904 – 2005). 

The permanent Collection includes works by major 20th Century artists Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Alfred Wallis, amongst others, as well as contemporary art by Sean Scully, Eva Rothschild and Olafur Eliasson. The Collection also includes local artists including Sylvia Wishart and Stanley Cursiter.

Although small, it is regarded as one of the finest collections of the period in the UK. A Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland, key works are regularly loaned to prominent exhibitions around the world. The Pier Arts Centre is also a partner of Tate, and exchanges programmes, ideas and skills with the Plus Tatenetwork of visual arts organisations across the UK.

The Centre also curates a year round programme of changing exhibitions and events for the education and enjoyment of the general public.