Somerset Rural Life Museum

The Somerset Rural Life Museum, set in the atmospheric grounds of Glastonbury Abbey’s former farm, offers a vivid portrait of everyday life in the county across the last few centuries. Its heart is the 14th‑century Abbey Barn, an impressive stone structure with soaring timber beams that once stored the abbey’s harvests. Today it serves as a dramatic exhibition space, linking medieval agriculture with modern rural traditions. Inside the museum’s galleries, visitors can explore themes ranging from crafts and farming to home life and local industries. One of the most engaging displays is the recreated farmhouse kitchen, complete with period utensils and furniture that evoke the rhythms of rural domestic life. The cider‑making equipment and dairy tools highlight Somerset’s long agricultural heritage, while exhibits on glove‑making and peat‑cutting reveal lesser‑known local trades. The museum also showcases personal stories — photographs, diaries and objects that bring to life the experiences of labourers, families and communities shaped by the landscape. Outside, the courtyard features traditional farm buildings, including a wagon shed and dairy, offering an authentic sense of how the site once operated.