Museum of South Somerset facts for kids
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| Location | Hendford, Yeovil, Somerset, England |
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| Type | Local museum |
The Museum of South Somerset was a special place in Yeovil, Somerset, England. It was located in an area called Hendford. This museum also had a Tourist Information Centre. This centre helped people find out about fun things to do in the area. Sadly, the museum closed its doors in 2011. All its amazing collections were moved to a new place. This new home is called the Community Heritage Access Centre in Lufton.
History of the Museum
The museum's collection started thanks to Alderman W.R.E. Mitchelmore. He was the Mayor of Yeovil from 1918 to 1921. The museum was set up in an old coach house. This coach house was part of a bigger building called Hendford Manor. The manor house itself was built around 1720. Today, it is used as offices. It is also a very old and important building.
What You Could See at the Museum
The museum had many interesting things to see. It showed the history of the local area. You could also learn about its geology. Geology is the study of rocks and land. You could learn about important local jobs and industries. These included making leather and gloves. People also worked with flax and hemp. There were displays about stone working, engineering, and printing newspapers.
The exhibits covered different times in history. You could explore prehistoric times. You could also see things from the Roman period. The museum showed how the area changed. It covered the agricultural and industrial revolutions.
The museum had different areas for displays. The Lower Gallery was used for special temporary shows. These shows would travel from other places. The Upper Gallery had permanent displays. One popular display was a recreated Roman dining room and kitchen. It even had mosaics. These mosaics were copied from real ones found in local Roman villas. These villas were found at Westland, Lufton, and Ilchester.
There were also displays about the area's prehistory and geology. A special Georgian house section showed what life was like long ago. This part of the museum displayed glassware, old costumes, and social history items. The museum also showed items from its firearms, pottery, and painting collections. These displays were changed regularly.
