Name: The Blake Museum
Rating: 5.0

The Blake Museum

Blake Museum, 5 Blake Street, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 3NB, UK

1-90 Years

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Description

The Blake Museum if you are planning an educational and engaging family day out in Somerset, finding an activity that brings local heritage to life can make your weekend truly special. The Blake Museum is an exceptional choice for parents seeking the best things to do with kids in Bridgwater, offering a historic museum experience housed inside a beautiful 16th-century building reputed to be the birthplace of famous merchant-seaman Robert Blake. Operating as a community heritage hub run by dedicated volunteers, it provides a welcoming space where children can discover maritime history, archaeological treasures, and the town's industrial past.

Budgeting for this family day out is incredibly straightforward because admission to the entire museum is completely free for all visitors. While there is no entry fee, donations are gratefully welcomed to help the museum preserve its collections and maintain its volunteer-led operations. Because your visit covers multiple packed galleries of historical artefacts, interactive touchscreens, and a peaceful community garden, it delivers fantastic educational value for a budget-friendly morning or afternoon of exploration.

If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids that perfectly balances maritime history, interactive exhibits, and fascinating local archaeology, this Somerset landmark checks every box. Positioned in the heart of the historic town centre, the museum serves as a wonderful starting point for an active family afternoon before exploring the rest of Bridgwater's heritage paths.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: Yes

Features

Key Features

Interactive Learning Hub: Modern touchscreen computers and audio-visual displays placed throughout the galleries help younger visitors engage deeply with historic stories.
Robert Blake Gallery: A dedicated room exploring the life of General-at-Sea Robert Blake, introducing children to 17th-century naval history and combat.
Bridgwater Brick and Tile Heritage: Eye-catching displays of the town's famous structural engineering history, including original roof decorations and historic brick-making tools.
Quiet Sensory Space: A beautifully maintained walled garden outside provides a peaceful environment where children can relax after exploring the indoor collections.

Detailed "What to See"

The Robert Blake Chest: Kids can stand right next to the massive, authentic sea chest that belonged to Robert Blake himself. It brings 17th-century seafaring history to life, allowing children to imagine storing valuable navigation tools and maps for long sea voyages.
The Interactive Battle Diorama: A favourite for young history enthusiasts, this detailed display maps out local conflicts like the Battle of Sedgemoor. The accompanying digital touchscreens let kids track how armies moved across the Somerset landscape.
The Historic Fire Engine: Children can marvel at an authentic, manual fire engine used in Bridgwater during the 18th century. It offers a great point of comparison for kids to see how firefighting technology has changed from hand-pumped wooden carts to modern emergency vehicles.
The Somerset Archaeological Finds: This section houses centuries-old items dug straight out of local soil, including Roman pottery fragments and medieval coins. It acts as a visual puzzle where kids can try to spot the tiny designs stamped into ancient currency.
The Walled Garden Archive: Step outside into the quiet courtyard garden to look at architectural fragments built directly into the walls. Children can search for carved stone faces and old brick stamps hidden among the flowers and shrubs.

Facilities

Toilets: A fully accessible toilet facility is located on the ground floor of the museum building.
Buggy Parking: Pushchairs can be wheeled easily through the ground floor galleries, though they may need to be left at reception to access upper floors via the historic staircase.
Food Options: While there is no on-site café, the museum's central town location means dozens of family-friendly bakeries and tea rooms are just a two-minute walk away.

Pro-Tips

Utilise the Digital Guides: Encourage older children to use the multi-media touchscreens in each room; they contain hidden details and map zoom features that aren't printed on the wall labels.
Plan Around the Stairs: The museum is housed in a Grade II* listed 16th-century building, meaning the upper galleries are accessed via a steep wooden staircase that might be tricky for very young toddlers.
Check for Temporary Exhibitions: The museum regularly rotates its local art and photography displays in the temporary gallery, so ask the reception volunteers what is new on the day you visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Blake Museum suitable for toddlers? Yes, it is a lovely stop for toddlers because it is quiet, completely free to enter, and features an outdoor walled garden where they can look at plants. However, parents should note that the upper floors are accessed via steep stairs, so it is best to leave bulky pushchairs on the ground floor.
How long does a typical visit take? A standard family visit usually lasts between 1.5 to 2 hours to comfortably browse the historical objects, interact with the touchscreens, and sit in the garden. This makes it an ideal activity to pair with a stroll around the nearby historic docks or a lunch break in the town centre.
Where is the best place to park for a family visit? The most convenient option is the Blake Place public car park situated just a few hundred yards down the road from the museum gates. It provides quick, easy access for families, utilizes standard pay-and-display meters, and keeps your walking distance to a absolute minimum.
Are there cheap indoor activities in Bridgwater for rainy days? The museum stands out as one of the finest cheap indoor activities in Bridgwater because entry is entirely free for both adults and children. It provides multiple warm, fully enclosed galleries where families can escape wet weather while learning about maritime history and ancient Roman archaeology.

The Visitor Verdict: What Parents Really Think
What Visitors Love

Completely Free Educational Outing: Parents consistently praise the museum for providing high-quality historical exhibits without any entry costs, making it accessible for everyone.
Passionate Volunteer Staff: Visitors frequently mention how warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable the volunteers are, often sharing extra stories that delight interested kids.
Beautiful Courtyard Garden: The small walled garden is highly rated as a peaceful spot to sit down, enjoy the sunshine, and let kids look at the outdoor architectural features.
Fascinating Local Focus: Families love that the museum tells the specific, unique story of Bridgwater's industry and people rather than just general history.

What Visitors Don't Like

Limited Upper Floor Accessibility: Because it is an ancient building, the lack of a lift to the upper floor rooms can be disappointing for families with heavy pushchairs or mobility needs.
Short Opening Windows: Some parents note that the museum is only open on specific days of the week, requiring careful planning to avoid arriving when the doors are closed.

What to see

Detailed Inventory of Collections

The Robert Blake Sea Chest: An authentic 17th-century wooden sea chest used by England's famous General-at-Sea.
The 18th-Century Manual Fire Engine: A fully preserved, hand-operated wooden town fire pump complete with its original mechanical linkages.
The Sedgemoor Battlefield Relics: A collection of pocket pistols, musket balls, and iron weapons recovered from the 1685 battlefield site.
The Bridgwater Bath Brick Display: A selection of the globally exported silt bricks unique to the River Parrett, alongside original moulding stamps.
The Barham Brothers Roof Finials: Intricate, locally manufactured terracotta roof decorations shaped like mythical beasts and grotesque figures.
The Roman Pottery Kiln Fragments: Preserved clay sections and pottery shards excavated from historic kiln sites across the Bridgwater district.
The Carnival Archive Display: A collection of vintage photographs, old programmes, and colourful past memorabilia from the famous Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival.

Beyond the Main Attraction

Once you finish exploring the museum galleries, the town centre offers several straightforward add-ons for a full family itinerary.
The Bridgwater Docks: A short walk from the museum leads families to the historic tidal basin and canal docks, perfect for viewing old lock gates and enjoying a scenic riverside stroll.
The Somerset Space Walk: Located nearby along the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, this outdoor trail features a scaled model of our solar system that kids can walk or cycle along.
The Cornhill Market: A striking 19th-century circular building located just minutes away on the high street, anchoring the historic heart of the town.

New for 2026

The museum continues to build on its accessibility upgrades to welcome visitors exploring the Somerset district this travel year.
Enhanced Digital Archive Touchscreens: Newly updated for the 2026 season, the gallery touchscreens now feature faster interfaces and clearer historical maps. Families can easily swipe through hundreds of high-resolution local photographs, tracking how the streets of Bridgwater evolved over the centuries.

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Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: Yes

Birthday Party Details

The venue does not offer structured commercial children's birthday party packages, private room rentals, or catered entertainment bookings.

For organized educational school visits, local heritage group inquiries, or research access to the physical archives, organizers can reach out to the museum team directly via email at info@bridgwatermuseum.org.uk.

8th April - 7th Nov: Weds - Sat 10.00am - 4.00pm (Last Entry at 3.00pm)

Address: Blake Museum, 5 Blake Street, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 3NB, UK

Post Code: TA6 3NB

Council: Somerset

County: Somerset and Bristol

By Train: Travel to Bridgwater Railway Station. From the station, it is an easy flat 0.7-mile walk (around 15 minutes) through the town centre to Blake Street.
By Bus: Regular local bus services from Taunton, Burnham-on-Sea, and surrounding Somerset villages stop at Bridgwater High Street and the Bus Station, both within a 5-minute walk of the museum.
By Car & Parking: Use postcode TA6 3NB. While there is no dedicated onsite parking, nearby public car parks include:
- Blake Place Car Park: Approximately 2 minutes away with short-stay pay-and-display parking.
- Damory Court Car Park / Northgate Car Park: Located within a 5–10 minute walk, offering larger parking areas and accessible spaces managed by Somerset Council.