[AJR]

From the BBC Website, 23rd April 2006

£4.75m lotto bid for town museum

Somerset County Council plans to seek a £4.75m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to restore Taunton Castle and the museum it houses. The council is holding an online consultation to ask what changes people want to see at the museum.

The Museum of Somerset project aims to "create a first-class 21st Century museum that will tell the whole history of Somerset for the first time". The bid is to be submitted to the HLF next September.

Tom Mayberry, Head of Heritage Services, said: "We hope to create a welcoming and vibrant visitor attraction that residents and visitors know about and want to visit."

[AJR]

From “Somerset Castles” by Robert W. Dunning, 1995.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle under the year 722, “Queen Aethelburh demolished Taunton, which Ine had built”. Scholars consider that some sort of stronghold rather than a complete settlement is referred to here, a stronghold presumably raised by the advancing Saxons under Ine himself after the defeat of the British king Geraint in 710. No trace of the fortress has yet been found. It had been thought to mark the beginning of the medieval castle at Taunton, and it could well be situated on the high ground above the River Tone at Bishops Hull.

The present castle site was of ecclesiastical and not military significance, for a minster church and its dependent building stood here, perhaps founded in the 8th century. The first direct and contemporary reference to the castle is in the Annals of Winchester for the year 1138, where it occurs among a list of buildings owned by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester (1129-71), a key figure during the reign of King Stephen. An alternative theory suggests it was the work of Henry’s predecessor as bishop, William Giffard, who had control of the estates of the See from 1100.

By the later 12th century the castle comprised a substantial rectangular keep measuring about 65ft (19.8m) by 98ft (29.9m), a first floor great hall over a stone vaulted undercroft and, at right angles to it, a chamber block. Early in the 13th century, at a time of potential civil war and possible French invasion, Bishop Peter des Roches, King John’s Justiciar, had both castle and town surrounded with ditches. The cost of the ditching was nearly £67, and of other work by carpenters and masons, over £57. Visitors in Bishop Peter’s time (1208-38) included King John, Queen Isabella and the young Henry III. Thirty years later, Bishop William Raleigh (1240-50) made considerable alterations, creating a ground floor hall in Ham stone, strengthening the chamber block, and building a new kitchen and chapel.

The castle was prepared for trouble during the Barons’ War of the 1260s and was used as a prison for the safe-keeping of Simon de Montfort’s son until 1282. Disaster struck from natural causes in 1326 when the whole site was flooded, and newly-dug ditches and sluice gates provided later in the century suggests a continuing problem. In 1451 the defences were at last tested when the Earl of Devon besieged Lord Bonville.

By this date the castle was arranged around two baileys. The inner comprised the keep or great tower, with its hall and quarters for soldiers, topped by five turrets, one of which served as a prison. Between the keep and great hall once stood the kitchen with a tower above it, facing the river. This kitchen was replaced with a new one and other domestic quarters such as a bakehouse, buttery and pantry in Bishop Raleigh’s time, but the tower remained, together with a bridge leading to a garden behind the keep. Adjoining the hall was the range which included the bishop’s chamber on the first floor above a vaulted undercroft, a round tower with latrines, and then the chapel, also on the first floor. Next was the inner gate, with the exchequer above, refitted by Bishop Thomas Langton in 1496.

The outer bailey was larger in area and was dominated by the east gate, where the constable or his deputy lived, with rooms for guards and possibly for estate officials. Opposite was the west gate. Within the bailey were two barns, a cow-shed, stables, a granary, a dairy, a dovecote and stores, together with the chapel of St. Peter. The last building to be erected within the surrounding walls was a school-house, paid for by Bishop Richard Fox in 1521-23.

For most of its history until the 16th century, the castle had served as the centre for administration of the vast local estates of the bishops of Winchester. Thereafter it was maintained for a variety of public uses and was effectively under the control of successive bailiffs or keepers. In 1635 it was described as being much ruined, but some money was spent there at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, and both castle and town were garrisoned by Parliament in 1643. Lost and recaptured again, it suffered damage when Robert Blake defended it, and parts were later sold off, while orders were given that the keep should be demolished.

The great hall, regularly used for assizes and other courts from the 16th century, was the scene of one of the sessions of the Bloody Assize in 1685 when one hundred and forty-four followers of the Duke of Monmouth were sentenced to be hanged, and two hundred and eighty-four to be transported. The hall was divided into two court rooms and other offices in the 1780s, and then about 1816 it was largely rebuilt. Assizes continued to be held there until 1857. During the same period, the remaining buildings were in use as private dwellings, and a school and surviving walls were incorporated in what became the Castle Hotel and the Winchester Arms inn. After 1857 the hall was used for public entertainment and political meetings.

The Somerset Archaeological Society bought the castle in 1874 and installed their museum in the hall. The castle still belongs to the Society today, but much of it is now occupied by the Somerset County Museum, whose displays are to be found in the former great hall and the bishop’s chamber range, as well as in galleries added during the 20th century. The site of the keep is let to the Castle Hotel as a garden. The former chapel and its undercroft, the exchequer and the round tower adjoining the chamber range are occupied by the Archaeological Society.

[AJR]

Some vintage postcards of Taunton Castle from my collection.

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 

Attached image(s)

• 
• 
• 
• 

[AJR]

Ground plan of Taunton Castle, from a booklet entitled "Notes on Taunton Castle" by A.W. Vivian-Neal & H. St. George Gray of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1941.

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 

[AJR]

From the Somerset County Gazette, 22nd April 2006

£6million bid for Taunton Castle

A bid for £4.75million of Lottery cash to restore Taunton Castle and turn it into a 21st Century museum is launched today (Thursday), backed by the County Gazette. Readers, and BBC Somerset Sound listeners, are being asked to say how they want to see the money spent.

Organisers hope to raise a further £1.5million from partners, grants, donations and public fundraising. The Heritage Lottery Fund bid is being spearheaded by Somerset County Council, which believes the historic castle and Somerset County Museum located within it need rejuvenating. As part of the initiative, the council is holding a consultation so as many people as possible can say what changes they want to see.

The Museum of Somerset' project aims to create a base for the first time for the whole of Somerset's history, from prehistoric times to the present. It forms a crucial part of the Vision for Taunton, aimed at enhancing the county town through renewal and regeneration, with the castle at the heart of a cultural quarter.
The project will maximise space within the castle, allowing more displays, including regional and touring exhibitions. It will also open up areas of Taunton Castle not currently seen by the public.

The museum's vast and varied collections include nationally significant items such as the Low Ham mosaic, the earliest example of narrative ever found in Britain but many displays are stored away due to lack of space. Tom Mayberry, head of Somerset County Council's heritage services, said improvements could boost current annual visitor figures of around 24,000.

"We hope to create a welcoming and vibrant visitor attraction that residents and visitors know about and want to visit," said Mr Mayberry.

"They would be able to go on a journey through time, experiencing the county's cultural and historical heritage. The castle was originally built to keep people out, but the changes will encourage people to come and visit. Over time, we hope to increase annual visitor numbers to 80,000."

Some aspects of the bid, such as increasing display space and carrying out essential repairs, are clear-cut. The consultation seeks to look at other options; for example, do people want to see a museum cafe? A short survey form is available at www.somerset.gov.uk/museumsurvey between now and Wednesday, May 31.

You will also be able to go on a guided tour of galleries and visit behind the scenes at the museum's open day on Saturday, April 29, from 10am to 5pm, when visitors can also take along artefacts to be identified by museum staff.

Cllr Justin Robinson, county executive member for adult and community services, said: "The project offers great potential to raise the profile of the region and increase visitor numbers. It will ensure the museum is able to display more of its collections and regenerating the museum and castle will be a fantastic use of Lottery money."

TAUNTON CASTLE HISTORY FILE:

*Taunton Castle is Grade 1 listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

*Parts of the building date from the 12th Century.

*For hundreds of years, it was the administrative centre of the great manor of Taunton Deane, owned by the Bishop of Winchester.

*It was the setting in 1685 for Judge Jeffreys' Bloody Assizes following the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth's Army at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Over 500 of the Duke's soldiers went on trial in the Great Hall for rebelling against the King, with 144 sentenced to be hanged and their remains displayed around the county.

*The castle was purchased in 1874 by Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society.

*It was placed in the care of Somerset County Council in 1958 on a 49-year lease, which is about to be renewed.

[Gordon]

Sounds great. Hopefully it all goes to plan.

[AJR]

From the BBC Website, 22nd March 2007

County gets £4.8m towards museum

Somerset has been awarded £4.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards the cost of restoring Taunton Castle and creating a Museum of Somerset. The county council wants to create a "modern museum which will tell the story of Somerset, from prehistoric times to the present".

The new plans will see Taunton Castle, a Grade 1 listed building, open more areas to the public. It is hoped the attractions will receive some 60,000 visitors annually. The Museum of Somerset Project forms part of Project Taunton's plans to enhance the county town.

Opinions canvassed

The council is now developing plans for the museum and is looking for residents' opinions. It is also to embark on a public funding campaign in the hope of raising £250,000 towards the overall £6.5m cost of the project. The remainder will come from other funding organisations. Final proposals have to be submitted to the HLF in early 2008. If approved, the funding will be released later that year.

The council's Museum of Somerset project leader Tom Mayberry said: "This is excellent news for Somerset and for Taunton. In what has been a highly-competitive process, HLF has approved the full amount of our bid, a demonstration both of the strength of the Museum of Somerset proposal and HLF's support for it."

[Gordon]

[AJR]

From 24dash.com, 20th March 2008

New £6.5m Museum of Somerset to become major tourist attraction

The hopes of more than 10,000 Somerset residents have been realised as Somerset County Council announced today that the new £6.5 million Museum of Somerset will go ahead. The project, which will restore Taunton Castle and provide the County with a first-class visitor attraction telling the story of Somerset, has received planning permission and has now had confirmation that it will receive £4.8 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The current Somerset County Museum will close on April 19th so that the huge task of dismantling, packing and storing every single object can be completed in time for building works to start. There will be special public events at the Castle over the summer until it is finally handed over to contractors in the Autumn.

Through the Museum of Somerset, Somerset County Council will create an exciting new visitor attraction which tells the story of Somerset from prehistoric times right up to the present day. Gallery spaces will be fitted out using the latest exhibition design techniques to display the museum’s internationally important collections. People will be able to access and learn about these in a variety of ways such as through interactive displays.

The new museum will offer much improved services for visitors including a cafe, extended opening times and a large temporary gallery capable of staging national touring exhibitions. It is hoped that visitor numbers will double to over 60,000 annually. Much more of the castle itself will be opened up to the public, parts of which date back to the 12th century. There will be a new Welcome Centre in the castle courtyard and a North Entrance leading to Goodlands Gardens. There will also be vastly improved access for people with disabilities.

Over 10,000 people backed the plans by signing a parchment scroll. The project also had the support of television’s Time Team and Most Haunted. Professor Mick Aston from Time Team launched a public fundraising campaign to raise £250,000 towards the project.

Welcoming the news, Somerset County Council’s Museum of Somerset Project Leader Tom Mayberry said: “It is tremendous news that, at last, the future of Somerset’s past is assured. I am very grateful to my team and everyone at Somerset County Council who has worked so hard towards this historic achievement, and to the Heritage Lottery Fund for their generosity.”

Councillor Justin Robinson, Somerset County Council’s Portfolio-Holder for Community and Adult Services, said: “Today’s announcement marks the culmination of years of planning, lots of hard work and a successful partnership between Somerset County Council and the people we represent. Over 10,000 people signed the parchment scroll to show their support for the Museum of Somerset, and we’re simply over the moon to be able to tell them we have delivered what they wanted.”

Julie Cooper, Heritage Lottery Fund Manager for the South West, said: "Taunton Castle is a quintessential historic building complete with moat, battlements and great hall. With the Heritage Lottery Fund’s support, work will be able to begin to safeguard a popular local landmark as well as creating a complementary education and learning programme within the Museum of Somerset. We are proud to be helping make this restoration project happen.”

[AJR]

From the Somerset County Gazette, 18th June 2009

Museum of Somerset gets £35,000 windfall from Taunton Castle owners

The £6.93m project for a new Museum of Somerset at Taunton Castle has received a £35,000 boost. The cash has been handed over by Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, which owns the 12th Century castle and many of the collections that will be displayed in the museum.

It will go towards the conservation and repair of the building and on creating new gallery spaces, including the Discovery Gallery for natural history and world culture collections. The museum is currently closed to the public during building work and is due to re-open in spring 2011.

Museum of Somerset project leader Tom Mayberry said: “Somerset County Council is delighted to be working in partnership with SANHS on this prestigious project and we are grateful for its generous donation. If it hadn’t been for the foresight of SANHS members over 100 years ago, Taunton could have lost its 12th century castle.”

SANHS chairman Chris Sidaway said: “We’re proud to be a partner in the new Museum of Somerset. It will contribute to the aims of the society in promoting the history, archaeology and natural history of Somerset both to residents of the county and visitors.”

The Museum of Somerset project is being backed by £4.8m funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Anyone interested in donating towards the project should contact project manager Carrie Blogg on 01823-362842. For further information about SANHS, click on the related link on this story or call 01823-272429.