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Our Site Manager is Sue Leask.

01458 831197

SRLM@swheritage.org.uk

​Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DB.

Please note the entrance to the Museum is on Bere Lane, near to the roundabout adjoining Chilkwell Street.



Blogs and news

  • The Wheel of the Year: Ostara and Beltane 18/03/2026
  • Morris Minor Van 16/03/2026
  • The Wheel of the Year: Yule and Imbolc 17/12/2025
  • The Wheel of the Year: Mabon and Samhain 18/09/2025
  • If you have an hour 28/07/2025

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Somerset Landscape

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Our Site Manager is Sue Leask. 01458 831197 SRLM@swheritage.org.uk ​Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DB. Please note the entrance to the...

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Somerset Landscape

Contact us

Our Site Manager is Sue Leask. 01458 831197 SRLM@swheritage.org.uk ​Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DB. Please note the entrance to the...

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Gallery

Discover theMuseum Galleries

Our Site Manager is Sue Leask. 01458 831197 SRLM@swheritage.org.uk ​Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DB. Please note the entrance to the...

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Open 10.00 am – 5.00 pm

Tuesday to Saturday (1 Nov to Easter)
Tuesday to Sunday (Easter to 31 Oct)

Plus bank holiday Mondays

Somerset Rural Life Museum
Chilkwell Street
Glastonbury
Somerset
BA6 8DB

01458 831197


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We’ve dusted off the decorations and untangled the We’ve dusted off the decorations and untangled the lights! Come and see the tree twinkling in the Abbey Barn and join us for A Celebration of Christmas from Saturday 7 December. We’re looking forward to spreading some Christmas cheer 🎄 #christmastree #ChristmasCelebration #ChristmasinGlastonbury
🎨 Coming Soon: Georgina Towler – In Not Knowing On 🎨 Coming Soon: Georgina Towler – In Not Knowing One, We’re Without an Other 🎨 Discover the vibrant and evocative paintings of Georgina Towler, a contemporary artist inspired by the stunning landscapes of Somerset. 🗓 Saturday 7 December 2024 – Saturday 22 February 2025 📍 Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury Join us for this captivating exhibition that explores the relationship between space, light, and colour, inspired by exploration of the Somerset landscape. 👉 Meet the artist on the opening day, 7 December, from 11:00 - 2:00, and gain insights into her creative process. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Towler’s unique vision. Plus you can even take home a piece of her artwork with a range of sizes for sale. Stay tuned for more details! More details on our website (link in bio). @visitsomersetuk @eastquaywatchet @glastonbury_information_centre #WhatsOnGlastonbury #GlastonburyArtExhibition @georgina_towler
📢 Last call for linocut! Join print artist 🎨 Joan 📢 Last call for linocut! Join print artist 🎨 Joanna Briar and learn to print your own Christmas cards or gift tags. Learn to design, carve and print by hand a simple relief printing block in lino to decorate Christmas cards, gift tags or tissue wrapping paper using safe-wash ink. Develop your design to create a small edition of one-colour prints inspired by the festive season. Suitable for beginners or those wishing to improve their skills. 👉 Book your place via the link in our bio. @joannabriarprints @glastonbury_craft_market
A Celebration of Christmas at Somerset Rural Life A Celebration of Christmas at Somerset Rural Life Musuem starting Saturday 7 December 2024!
🧶 It's the last week of our Spinning A Yarn exhibi 🧶 It's the last week of our Spinning A Yarn exhibition! 🧶 Do come and enjoy the many tactile pieces in the Mapstone Gallery before the exhibition finishes on Saturday 30 November.
🥣It's Stir-Up Saturday! Our team will be in the fa 🥣It's Stir-Up Saturday! Our team will be in the farmhouse kitchen today 10:00 - 2:00 making the Christmas pudding. Come and see them in action and learn more about this Victorian tradition. Meanwhile artists 🎨 Liz Bath and Ness Robinson of InkJam20 are ready to welcome you for a special hands on 🎄 Christmas workshop. Create your own flying angel using recycled materials and gold/silver embossing. See your angels take flight 🪽 from Saturday 7 December as part of our 'A Celebration of Christmas' that also includes an immersive audio experience in the Abbey Barn, plus family festive fun and a special evening opening. All our Christmas activities can be found on our website (link in bio).
📢 We've not one, but two chances this month to cre 📢 We've not one, but two chances this month to create a Christmas Angel with Ink Jam for our festive display 'A Chorus of Angels'! 🪽 🎨 Join local artists Liz Bath and Ness Robinson of Ink Jam for a creative, hands on workshop. Create a flying angel using recycled materials and gold and silver embossing. The workshops take place on Saturday 23 November and Saturday 30 November. 📆 This Saturday 23 November we are also taking part in 'Stir-Up Sunday' 🥣 (ok so we're a day early), but visit the farmhouse kitchen to find out more about the tradition as our team make the Christmas Pudding. See the 'Chorus of Angels' suspended in flight from Saturday 7 December. ✨Ink Jam Angel Making Workshop ✨ Saturday 23 November Saturday 30 November 🥣Stir-Up Saturday 🥣 Saturday 23 November (10:00 - 2:00) See more via the link in our bio.
Stir-up Saturday 🥄🧈🎄 Saturday 23 November 2024 Ok Stir-up Saturday 🥄🧈🎄 Saturday 23 November 2024 Ok so we are a day early ... but get yourself in the festive spirit and join us for Stir Up Saturday! You may be familiar with Stir-Up Sunday, which takes place on the Sunday before advent. Since Victorian times it has become associated with the family custom of preparing for Christmas together by making the Christmas pudding. Join our friendly team in the farmhouse kitchen between 10:00 am - 2:00 pm as we make our own Christmas puddings and find out more about the origins of this long standing tradition. Local artists @inkjam20 will be joining us to create beautiful angels from recycled materials and gold/silver leaf for our Christmas display 'A Chorus of Angels'. Create your own angel for display/takeaway. No need to book, simply drop by and join in with the family-friendly festivities. @glastonbury_information_centre @whats_on_glastonbury2024 @whats_on_somerset
🎄See Somerset Rural Life Museum beautifully decora 🎄See Somerset Rural Life Museum beautifully decorated for Christmas this year, with immersive displays, festive foliage and family fun.🎄 🪽 See Choirs of angels! 🗣️ Hear the voices of Christmas’s past! and admire the impressive twinkling Christmas tree 🎄 in the Abbey barn. Plus, 🔎 find the cuddly elves hidden around the museum as part of our Elf Trail and win a treat. Contribute to this year’s Christmas display ✨ by joining us on Saturday 23 and Saturday 30 November for an Ink Jam Angel workshop. Make your own angel with recycled materials and gold and silver embossing to become part of a ‘Chorus of Angels’ suspended in flight. 🪽 On Saturday 23 November there will also be the chance to learn more about the tradition of ‘Stir Up Sunday’ 🥣 (one day early), as the team spend the morning making the Christmas pudding. On Friday 13 December, join us after dark 🌙 as we hold our first Christmas evening opening with the chance to toast marshmallows around the 🔥 fire. The museum will stay open from 5:00 – 9:00 pm. Heading into the new year, on Tuesday 31 December families can get ready for 2025 and create a calendar. Finally, why not welcome in the new year with 🫏 donkey rides for children on Friday 3 December! With our 🎟️ Museum Unlimited Annual Pass, pay once and return as many times as you like for a whole year. Dates for your diary can be found on our website. @visitsomersetuk @glastonbury_information_centre
🎭 Greetings carnival lovers! 🎪 ✨ Just a quick not 🎭 Greetings carnival lovers! 🎪 ✨ Just a quick note to say our Grain Store Café will be closing at 3:30pm this Saturday due to the town carnival ⛔ Here's a picture of our Carnival Bike known as 'The Dragon'. C.1930 from Bridgwater @grainstoreglastonbury
🎄 The countdown to Christmas begins, with Stir-Up 🎄 The countdown to Christmas begins, with Stir-Up Saturday! 🥣 Ok it's usually 'Stir-Up Sunday' but we're getting in a day early. Dating back to Victorian times 👑 'Stir-Up Sunday' is the last Sunday before advent, the day when traditionally families gather together to prepare the Christmas pudding. 🧈 The Christmas pudding as we know it is said to have been introduced to Britain by Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, however it is thought that a version of the pudding was actually introduced from Germany by George I ( sometimes known as the ‘pudding king’) in 1714. Join us in the Victorian farmhouse kitchen 🍽️ this 'Stir-Up Saturday' between ⏰10:00 am - 2:00 pm when we will be preparing the Christmas pudding and learning more about this tradition. There’s no better time to fire up the stove, raid the larder and delve into grandma’s recipe book 📖 – or in our case, Hilda Bates-Harbin’s early 20th century recipe book from Somerset Archives (image below). 😇 Plus get even more in the festive spirit as you join us to work with local artists INK JAM to help us make a chorus of Angels for our ‘A celebration of Christmas’ event using recycled materials and gold/silver leaf. 🥣 Stir-Up Saturday 📆 Saturday 23 November, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm ✅ FREE with your Museum Unlimited Pass (pay once and return as many times as you like for a year) Find out more about Stir-Up Saturday and read our blog about the tradition here: https://swheritage.org.uk/events/stir-up-saturday/ Image credit 1: Canva Image Credit 2: DD.HN.3.2.12 From the recipe book of Hilda Bates-Harbin of Newton Surmaville, early 20th cent. Somerset Archives and Local Studies @visitsomersetuk @glastonbury_information_centre @whats_on_somerset #StirUpSaturday #StirUpSunday #GlastonburyEvents #FrostFayreGlastonbury #VisitGlastonbury #WhatsOnGlastonbury #CafeGlastobury #GlastonburyCafe #ChristmasinGlastonbury #SomersetArchives #ChristmasPudding
🔎 Looking for something special to adorn your Chri 🔎 Looking for something special to adorn your Christmas tree 🎄 or hang in your window 🪟 this year? Why not create your own beautiful light catcher using copper foiling? We're excited to be joined by artist 🎨 Kate Doig of @firewolfglass 🪟 this Saturday for a workshop at the museum. It will be a fun filled day where you will learn how to cut glass safely, how to use a glass grinder, how to apply copper foil and how to solder it all together. There will be templates for you to use or you can design your own light catchers. 📜 Kate is a qualified tutor and professional glass artist. She studied architectural glass at Bristol School of Art and has taught stained glass classes for more than 12 years. 💡 Ideal for beginners or those with more experience. ⏰ Final space remaining! 👉 Book via the link in our bio. #StainedGlass #ChristmasDecoration #LightCatcher #ChristmasWorkshop #SomersetRuralLifemuseum #CopperFoiling #ChristmasinGlastonbury #somersetartist Images courtesy of Firewolf Glass.
🎅🎄Santa's coming to town🎄🎅 Santa at Somerset Rura 🎅🎄Santa's coming to town🎄🎅 Santa at Somerset Rural Life Museum Glastonbury Sunday 8 December 2024 (10:00 - 5:00) £7.50 per child 🎅 Santa will be taking time out of his busy schedule to fly into the farmhouse kitchen at Abbey Farm again this year on Sunday 8 December. 🦌 You will be greeted by one of our friendly elves who will guide you to Santa’s grotto in the cosy farmhouse kitchen.🎄 See the festive foliage and warm yourself by the farmhouse fire, where Santa will be ready to meet you and hear your Christmas wishes. Santa will then present each child with a special gift. 🎁 After a chat with Santa you can explore the museum at your own pace (Normal admission applies) with our special Christmas trail. Can you find all the cuddly elves hidden around the museum? (Trail £1 each). 🌟 At the end of your visit, you can make a festive decoration to take home and hang on your tree. 🌟 ❗Please note you will need to purchase entry to the museum or to show a Museum Unlimited Pass, as well as a Santa ticket. ❗ The café will be open to ticket holders serving festive treats and light snacks (additional charges apply). Why not try our delicious treats and hot chocolate? ☕ 👉 Book your Santa tickets via the link in our bio. ✨ Plus check out our special 'Celebration of Christmas' installation and activities from 7 December. More info on the website 'What's on' page. #SantaisComingtotown #ChristmasisComing #SantainGlastonbury #SantaontheFarm #ViatiGlastonbury #GlastonburyCafe #FatherChristmasSomerset #SantaSomerset #SantattheMuseum #SomersetRuralLifeMuseum @glastonbury_information_centre @visitsomersetuk
Get crafty this Christmas with our creative, artis Get crafty this Christmas with our creative, artist-led workshops! 🎨🎄 Create a beautiful stained glass ornament to adorn your Christmas tree or how about learning a new skill and printing your own magical Christmas card design. Spaces available: Stained Glass Workshop with Kate Doig @firewolfglass Saturday 9 November 2024, 10:00 - 4:00 Book your place here: https://swheritage.org.uk/events/stained-glass-2024/ Christmas Card Linocut Printing with @joannabriarprints Saturday 30 November 2024, 10:00 - 4:00 Book your place here: https://swheritage.org.uk/events/linocut-printing/
📢 Join us all this week (Tuesday - Saturday) for f 📢 Join us all this week (Tuesday - Saturday) for family fun on the farm with woolly animals and themed crafts. 🐑🐐🧶 🧶Tuesday 29 October Stick Weaving and Woolly Farmyard Animals Meet the goats and sheep at the Museum and take part in some stick weaving. 🧶Wednesday 30 October Woolly Sheep Crafts and Woolly Farmyard Animals Meet the goats and sheep, and make some fun wool-themed crafts. Make a sheep or a goat, and a ‘cycle of wool’ timeline. 🧶Thursday 31 October Woolly Sheep Crafts and Woolly Farmyard Animals Meet the goats and sheep then have fun colouring a picture using different wools and creating a crafty sheep. 🧶Friday 1 November Woolly Sheep Crafts and Woolly Farmyard Animals Meet the goats and sheep, and make some fun wool-themed crafts. Make a sheep or a goat, and a ‘cycle of wool’ timeline. 🧶Saturday 2 November Needle Felting with Lydia Needle, 10.30 am – 3.30 pm Join Lydia Needle for a hands-on needlefelt drop-in session to create a picture of Somerset sheep. Needlefelt is a craft that uses wool, a felting mat and a special type of sharp needle to create images and designs. 🪡
🍂 Seasonal change to opening hours: 🍂 👉 From 1 No 🍂 Seasonal change to opening hours: 🍂 👉 From 1 November the museum will revert to it's autumn - winter opening hours. We will be closed on Sundays until Easter 2025. From Friday 1 November - Easter we will be open for visitors on Tuesday - Saturday, 10.00 am - 5.00 pm. See our website for more visiting information.
🧶 Bring the whole flock to discover the wonder of 🧶 Bring the whole flock to discover the wonder of wool this October half term! 🧶 🐑 We’ve got family-fun wool crafts and visiting woolly animals during the weekdays, all inspired by the Spinning a Yarn exhibition. 🐑 📆Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October 🧶Wool-themed Crafts Join us to for some fun wool-themed crafts. Make a sheep or a goat, and a ‘cycle of wool’ timeline. 📆Tuesday 29 October 🧶Stick Weaving and Woolly Farmyard Animals Meet the goats and sheep at the Museum and take part in some stick weaving. 📆Wednesday 30 October and Friday 1 November 🧶Woolly Sheep Crafts and Woolly Farmyard Animals Meet the goats and sheep, and make some fun wool-themed crafts. Make a sheep or a goat, and a ‘cycle of wool’ timeline. 📆Thursday 31 October 🧶Woolly Sheep Crafts and Woolly Farmyard Animals Meet the goats and sheep then have fun colouring a picture using different wools and creating a crafty sheep. 📆Saturday 2 November 🧶Needle Felting with Lydia Needle, 10.30 am – 3.30 pm Join Lydia Needle for a hands-on needlefelt drop-in session to create a picture of Somerset sheep. Needlefelt is a craft that uses wool, a felting mat and a special type of sharp needle to create images and designs. Activities included with a Museum Unlimited Pass, pay once and return as many times as you like for a whole year! 👉 See the full schedule on our website. #OctoberHalfTermGlastonbury #VisitGlastonbury #GlastonburyCafe
📢This Thursday, we have an exciting, FREE opportun 📢This Thursday, we have an exciting, FREE opportunity for your little ones! ✨Glastonbury Library, Thursday 24 October 2024, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm✨ The Fascinating & Curious Museum will be visiting Glastonbury Library, to give children aged 0-5 a chance to learn about, explore and play with a variety of heritage objects. These can include; a gramophone, a 100 year old rocking horse, and some wonderful woodland creatures!🎼🐎🐇 Your little ones will also be able to take part in a creative activity. 🎃🧶Make a pumpkin out of wool, to prepare for Halloween and/or celebrate Autumn!🍂 🍁 To book a place, please follow the link in our bio! @somersetlibraries @somersetcouncil @glastonburytc @visitsomersetuk #MuseumsInLibraries #CraftsForKids #WhatsOnGlastonbury #EYFSActivities
🧶 Discover the wonder of wool this October half te 🧶 Discover the wonder of wool this October half term! 🧶 🐑 We’ve got family-fun wool crafts and visiting woolly animals during the weekdays, all inspired by the Spinning a Yarn exhibition. 🐑 See the full schedule via the link in our bio. @glastonbury_information_centre @visitsomersetuk @visitwells @whats_on_somerset @down_somerset_way @somerset_art_works #OctoberHalfTermSomerset #SomersetMuseum #Glastonbury #GlastonburyMuseum #CafeGlastonbury
🗣️ We have a fascinating talk coming up with Jen H 🗣️ We have a fascinating talk coming up with Jen Hunter from Fernhill Farm: Find out how a dilapidated ancient farmstead became a thriving regenerative eco-farm, right here in Somerset. 🧶 Fernhill Farm is eco farm and events venue up on the Mendip Hills. 🏔️ Farm owners Andy Wear and Jen Hunter combine rural skills, natural fibres and a passion for conservation. 🐑 At Fernhill Farm they run commercial flocks of approximately 3000 Romney Shetland sheep selectively bred for fine colourful fibre, mature meat qualities, hardiness and their ability to restore biodiversity when continually grazing in larger nomadic-style flocks. 🐑 👉 Jen will be ‘in conversation’ with film maker Trevor Pitts whose film, 🎥 ‘Somerset Yarnings’ documents the lifecycle of the wool they produce and can be seen as part of our Spinning A Yarn exhibition in the Abbey Barn. 🐑 Regenerative Eco Farming with Jen Hunter 🗓️ Thursday 24 October, 7:00 - 8:00 Tickets £9.50 each. Book your place via the link in our bio. This event is connected to our current Spinning A Yarn exhibition, find out more via the link in our bio. Images 2-5 courtesy of Fernhill Farm. @exmoormagazine @mendiphillsnl @somerset_art_works @fernhillfibre @glastonbury_information_centre @britishwool@mendiptimes @themendipsrock
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