Welcome to the website of The Friends of Blake Museum, Bridgwater

(Registered charity no.1099815)
The Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday 10.am - 4.pm until Thursday 12 November 2009. Closed for more refurbishment, then re-opening Tuesday 31 March 2010.

Email the Museum:
Queries: blake@bridgwatermuseum.org.uk.
The Museum office: secretary@bridgwatermuseum.org.uk.

The contact page on this website is for queries about the Museum Friends.

Temporary Exhibitions
The Gallery - Bridgwater Buildings, then and now
The Meeting Room (in preparation) - The Chubb family

The Blake Museum was founded in 1926 by Bridgwater Borough Council. In April 2009 it was returned to the control of Bridgwater Town Council, from Sedgemoor District Council, who have run it since 1974.The District Council ran it as part of their Museum Service.

Visits from members of the public to the Museum were suspended from 8 February, so that volunteers from the Friends could undertake some reorganisation of rooms and remediation and extension of electrical circuits.

Evening meetings, pre-booked visitors and an enquiry service have been maintained throughout.

New Museum displays have been prepared. Members of the Bridgwater & District Archaeological Society made a newly-refurbished exhibition of local archaeology in the the former Chubb Room on the second floor.

The Friends have raised and made available £4,000 for the initial funding of the work carried out by volunteers so far. Their funding ceased on 14 March. Fund raising for future projects has already begun, and all assistance is welcome.

The Town Council agreed a budget at its meeting on Monday 2 March. The new funding stream from the Town Council, matched by Transition Funding from Sedgemoor District Council, is expected to be available for the start of the new financial year on 1 April.

The Mayor of Bridgwater, Councillor Graham Granter, led a ceremony on 11 April to mark the handover of the Museum to the Town Council.

The Museum reopened to the Public on Wednesday 20 May.

The Museum will be closed again for the next phase of refurbishment between Thursday 12 November 2009 and Tuesday 31 March 2010, this time working on the upper floor. More details will be posted later on the News Page.

Please see the News Page for progress reports.