Bruton Museum

Bruton Museum tells the story of a Saxon town in Somerset, from prehistoric fossils and Roman finds through to its medieval days as an important church centre. Displays include masonry from the demolished Bruton Abbey, archaeological finds and a special collection of artworks by a German refugee artist from the Second World War. Visitors can also see the writing desk used by the American novelist John Steinbeck during his 1959 stay in the town. A changing display called Casespace shows contemporary work by local creatives, so the collection moves on as well as looking back. The museum is compact, so with younger children a short, easy browse suits it best. It is housed in a historic building on the High Street that also holds the town's tourist information office. It is a manageable indoor stop on a wet afternoon, and it runs talks and an annual history and heritage festival.