The aim of the Somerset Cricket Museum is to advance the education of the public in the history and development of cricket by maintaining a museum for the permanent exhibition and preservation of items of educational and historic value particularly, but not exclusively, of Somerset County Cricket Club.
The charity owns two buildings and the land on which they stand and the Museum itself is housed in a 15th century stone barn, the last remaining building of Taunton Priory, which was founded about the year 1120 and dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539.
The museum building has had a variety of uses and modifications over the centuries, the most recent being as a store in a builder’s yard and before that as a farm barn. Almost derelict in the 1980s, it was classified as an ancient monument. The newly established Somerset Cricket Museum bought it in the 1980s and set about major reconstruction works to make it safe and to replace the roof. It is now Grade II* listed. Following the receipt of a major legacy in 2010 the building has been completely renovated and brought up to modern safety and efficiency standards.
The Museum has exhibits related to:
· Women’s and Girls Cricket
· Cricket clothing and equipment from the last 100 years
· A picture gallery of all the Somerset captains since 1875, teams and the famous players who have played for Somerset including Harold Gimblett, Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner.
· Old ground and club equipment such as a printing press, horse shoes etc
· Historic documents and scorebooks
The majority of the above, plus other features Including audio facilities for our visually Impaired visitors, children’s activity sheets and a histories of local cricket clubs are all available on the website.
A Virtual Tour of the Museum can be found here
https://somersetcricketmuseum.co.uk/somerset-cricket-museum-virtual-tour/
No admission charges but any donations are always gratefully received