Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum

Tucked beside the River Parrett on the flat moorland of the Somerset Levels, this small museum sits inside a brick pumping station that once kept the surrounding fields dry. Its headline piece is an 1861 Easton and Amos pumping engine, still in the building it was installed in, which comes to life on steam days when the boiler is fired up and the big machinery turns over. Alongside it you will find a diesel generating set, an old forge and a range of engines from different makers, many with links to the county's industrial past. A narrow-gauge railway runs through the grounds, and younger visitors can follow a free trail hunting for objects around the site. Staff are volunteers who enjoy talking through how the machines work, which makes it a good fit for families with children who like engines, history or noise.