Tucked away on the eastern edge of Glastonbury, the Somerset Rural Life Museum stands as one of the county’s most atmospheric and thoughtfully curated heritage attractions. Set within the historic precincts of a 14th-century abbey farmhouse, this museum offers a rich and immersive exploration into Somerset’s rural traditions, crafts, and ways of life. It is not just a museum of objects but a museum of stories—stories of the people who shaped the land, farmed it, built communities, and developed skills that span from the medieval world to the industrial age and into the 20th century. For anyone fascinated by local history, rural traditions, or the quieter narratives of England’s past, the Somerset Rural Life Museum offers an inspiring and deeply grounding experience.
A Setting Steeped in History
The museum’s location is as compelling as the exhibits it houses. The site is centred around the beautifully preserved Abbey Farm, originally part of the estates belonging to Glastonbury Abbey—one of the wealthiest and most powerful monastic institutions in medieval England. After the abbey’s dissolution in the 16th century under Henry VIII, the land continued to be farmed for centuries. It eventually became a farm museum in the 1970s before undergoing significant restoration and reopening in 2017 as the modern Somerset Rural Life Museum we see today.
Visitors today can still admire the medieval barn—an extraordinary structure built around 1340—complete with thick stone walls, soaring timber roof trusses, and an atmosphere that seems to carry the echoes of centuries of agricultural activity. This barn, now an exhibition space, sets the tone for the entire visit: grounded, authentic, and resonant with local heritage. Few museums enjoy such an evocative historical backdrop.
Exploring Rural Somerset Through the Centuries
The museum chronicles life in Somerset from the 1800s to the mid-20th century, focusing on the traditions that shaped the region before the arrival of mass mechanisation. With a mixture of interactive exhibits, carefully preserved artefacts, and reconstructed spaces, the museum captures the rhythms of rural existence—its labour, its creativity, and its community spirit.
Farming and Agricultural Heritage
Unsurprisingly, given the setting, agriculture takes centre stage. Somerset has always been a deeply agricultural county, known for dairy farming, sheep grazing, and the cultivation of apples for cider production. The museum’s exhibitions highlight the lives of farm labourers, the tools they used, and the seasonal patterns that shaped their world. Vintage machinery, ploughs, carts, and hand tools offer a tangible sense of the hard work that defined rural livelihoods before industrialisation.
What is particularly striking is the museum’s sensitive portrayal of the working people themselves. Instead of simply showing tools and equipment, the displays include photographs, diaries, and oral histories—voices from the past that bring authenticity and emotional depth. These stories remind us that rural history is not abstract; it belonged to families, communities, and generations whose daily lives were interwoven with the land.
Craftsmanship, Trades, and Cottage Industries
Somerset has long been known for its skilled craftspeople, and the museum pays tribute to this heritage. Exhibits explore traditional trades such as blacksmithing, leatherworking, thatching, and basket-making. Tools, workbenches, and reconstructed workspaces help illustrate how these crafts were passed down through families and villages.
One particularly engaging section focuses on textile production. Somerset’s rural areas once played a significant role in wool and cloth making, and the museum includes spinning wheels, looms, and examples of the region’s distinctive textile patterns. For visitors who appreciate handmade crafts or are involved in modern creative hobbies, this part of the museum provides fascinating insight into the artistry and labour of pre-industrial craftsmanship.
Domestic Life and Social History
Inside the farmhouse, rooms have been reconstructed to reveal what daily domestic life was like for Somerset families in centuries past. These include kitchens, parlours, and bedrooms furnished with authentic period items—everything from cast-iron ranges to cradle cots. The rooms are arranged to feel lived-in rather than merely displayed, creating a sense that one has stepped through time into someone’s home.
Exhibits on childcare, medicine, women’s work, and seasonal festivities paint a rich picture of rural community life: harvest celebrations, May Day traditions, village fairs, religious observances, and the tight-knit networks that helped families survive hard winters or poor harvests. For modern visitors accustomed to digital conveniences and urban living, these insights illuminate a world where survival required constant labour, cooperation, and self-reliance.
The Abbey Barn — A Medieval Masterpiece
One of the museum’s standout architectural features is the magnificent Abbey Barn. Often considered one of the finest surviving medieval barns in the country, its size and craftsmanship are testament to Glastonbury Abbey’s wealth and influence. The barn would originally have stored tithes—grain, produce, and goods collected from locals to support the abbey’s operations.
Today the barn is used as a flexible exhibition and event space. Its dramatic interior creates a naturally contemplative atmosphere, making it a fitting location for historical displays, art installations, or community gatherings. Walking through the barn invites reflection not only on the labour that once filled it but also on the sheer durability of medieval engineering.
Gardens, Orchards, and Outdoor Exhibits
Beyond the buildings, the museum’s grounds are a delight to explore. A traditional farmhouse garden showcases heritage plants, herbs, and flowers once grown for medicine, cooking, and household use. The orchard, meanwhile, celebrates Somerset’s iconic apple-growing tradition. As the home of the West Country cider industry, Somerset’s orchards have shaped both its landscape and its cultural identity, and the museum’s outdoor spaces pay tribute to that heritage.
There are also displays of old wagons, farm carts, and outdoor tools, allowing visitors to wander and admire Somerset’s rural engineering up close. Children often enjoy these areas, as the open space and large equipment offer an engaging counterbalance to the indoor exhibitions.
A Centre for Community and Learning
Rather than simply being a museum about rural life, the Somerset Rural Life Museum also functions as a hub for community activity, education, and creative learning. Regular workshops teach traditional crafts, while seasonal events highlight everything from apple-pressing to Christmas festivities. School groups frequently visit, taking part in curriculum-aligned sessions that help young people understand Somerset’s social and agricultural heritage.
Temporary exhibitions rotate throughout the year, meaning there is always something new to discover. These often explore subjects such as local folklore, farming history, regional artists, or the evolution of rural technology. The museum also collaborates with local storytellers, artists, and historians to bring fresh perspectives to Somerset’s past.
Why the Somerset Rural Life Museum Matters
In an age where rural traditions are rapidly disappearing and modern life often feels unanchored, the Somerset Rural Life Museum plays a vital role in preserving identity, memory, and place. By focusing on ordinary people—farmers, labourers, craftspeople, women and children whose voices were seldom recorded—it restores dignity and recognition to the everyday histories that shaped the region.
The museum invites visitors to slow down, reflect, and appreciate the human and environmental forces that forged Somerset’s landscape. It encourages a deeper connection with nature, agriculture, and the quiet power of local history. Whether you’re a traveller passing through Glastonbury, a family seeking an educational day out, or a history enthusiast looking to explore England’s countryside heritage, the Somerset Rural Life Museum offers a rich and rewarding visit.
Above all, it serves as a reminder: behind every field, every hedge, and every old stone wall lies a story—and this museum ensures those stories are never forgotten.
