‘Discover Taunton’ Town Tours At the Museum of Somerset

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Have you ever wondered about the stories behind buildings you pass every day? If so, The Museum of Somerset’s latest town tour might provide some answers.

‘Discover Taunton’ is a guided walking tour exploring the often-surprising history of Somerset’s county town.

Touching on religion, education, science, technology, health and leisure, the tour reveals a thread of experimentation, rebellion and non-conformity which, some might say, is still the character of the West Country. Along the way, you will meet the inventor who inspired Mary Shelly’s vision of Frankenstein, the middle-aged spinster who led Taunton’s own Pilgrim Fathers to seek freedom in the New World and the sixteen-year-old who was thought to be too old to be a teacher. You will also discover how, for much of the last 500 years, the town was a hotbed of religious radicalism!

‘Discover Taunton’ tours are led by volunteers from The Museum of Somerset who also researched the tour’s content with the support of archivists from the South West Heritage Trust. This is the fourth year that the tours have run, each year with a different theme, and over that time they have become more and more popular.

Susie Simmons, Visitor Services Manager at The Museum of Somerset, said “the new tour follows on from last year’s very successful ‘Hidden Taunton’ tours in revealing some of Taunton’s lesser-known stories. This year’s tour really demonstrates the adventurous, pioneering spirit of Somerset people through the years.”

The ‘Discover Taunton’ tour departs from The Museum of Somerset every Saturday at 11.00 am and Wednesday at 2.00 pm from now until the end of September. The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and finishes at Taunton Visitor Centre.

The tours cost £3.50 per person. Advance booking is highly recommended. You can reserve your place by phoning 01823 255088.