Winter 2019/2020
We’ve had a few upgrades and updates to the museum during the closed season to bring a fresh look, improve the experience for our visitors, and also users of the museum and hall’s facilities. We’ve added in storage space to the attic area above the doll collection so we are able to store the dolls that we currently do not have the space to display. Under the stairs in the museum a space has been created to allow the storage of artefacts and maps which the museum has been collecting over the last couple of years. This in turn has created extra display space for some of the larger prams in the doll collection. The desk for our volunteers has been moved (again) to provide a better welcome for people into the museum. The meeting room which we hire out now has a new projector and sound system installed to allow better connectivity to modern equipment for presentations.
April 2018
With the help of the Rural Development Agency and the European Development Fund for Tourism, a new Mezzanine Gallery and a platform lift have been installed in our Memorial Hall
Come and see our new display of Roman Pots!
Recently fragments of Roman pots, dating form the 1st to 3rd century AD, were found at Dunster Beach. This has created a lot of interest and speculation that there may once have been a Roman settlement in Dunster. The fragments have been sorted, and some of the pots have been partially stuck back together. Come and see them on display now!
Ben’s Sponsored Skydive was a huge success!
Ben’s jump from 15,000 feet on Sunday 14th June 2015 at Dunkeswell airfield was a huge success.
“It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, I still can’t believe I’ve done it. I was nervous for months prior to the jump, waking up at night. Then all of a sudden it was jump day and it became very real. I tried to remain as calm as possible, and it appeared to work. Even on the plane flying up to the correct altitude, I wasn’t worried or nervous. Then the door opened and everyone started to dive out of the plane and I suddenly realised it was me next. Then the nerves kicked in. Before I knew it I was kneeling at the open door looking down thinking ‘this is mad’. Then we just rolled out of the plane, and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, as though I was floating, not falling. The time free falling seemed to pass very fast and then the chute opened, and you could take in the view. Then it was straight down for a smooth landing. All in all AMAZING! And I managed to raise money for our fantastic local project.”
The total amount raised was over £800!
To see a video of my Jump CLICK HERE!
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Become a Supporter, Member or Friend and help YOUR village museum!
Dunster Museum and Doll Collection has achieved a great deal in a very short space of time: a revamped doll collection, a brand new local museum, a small shop, a meeting room for visitors, local business and villagers with free Wifi and tea/coffee making facilities, a re-styled Victorian snooker room, disabled access, a new disabled toilet with baby changing facilities, and a completely renewed kitchen.
In order to complete the dream of achieving a modern museum to fully reflect the history of this beautiful village and its surroundings, we added an extra floor in 2018 which we have named the Harborne Gallery in memory our sadly departed Chairman who did so much for the Memorial Hall in recent years. The work involved building a mezzanine floor between the ground and first floors. This enormous project was funded by the Rural Development Agency who donated £45,000 and we will forever be grateful for this donation. Since the work was completed Hinkley Point C Community Fund and Tesco in Minehead have provided us with a further £7,000 to build a new storage area in the roof enabling us to store the many dolls which we are unable to display at any one time.
Running the Museum and Doll Collection requires further fundraising with schemes such as Adopt a Doll, Friends of Dunster Museum and Gift Aid. We are also extremely grateful to our volunteers who put time and energy into meeting and greeting the thousands of visitors who visit the Memorial Hall every year with their families.
Please click here for more information on becoming a Supporter, Member or Friend.
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