THE contents of the Museum of Somerset might date back to thousands of years, but the museum itself is fairly young in comparison.

The Taunton-based museum will be celebrating its fifth birthday on September 29 after reopening in 2011 following a major refurbishment, and has since welcomed more than 340,200 visitors.

Through an engaging programme of events and exhibitions, and some outstanding additions to the collections, the museum has put the county’s heritage at the heart of the community.

The museum is marking it's birthday by highlighting some of the major achievements since it reopened:

The Alfred Jewel

Somerset County Gazette:

The Alfred Jewel, one of the most celebrated treasures from Anglo-Saxon England, returned to Somerset for the first time in nearly 300 years in February 2015.

It was lent for exhibition by the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford.

The exhibition, which was accompanied by special events and activities, was a remarkable success and attracted 25,000 visitors from all over Great Britain and from as far away as New Orleans.

Inspiring learning

Somerset County Gazette:

From ‘dinosaur digs’ to ‘knights and castles’ the museum welcomes school groups and families from across the county.

Around 28,000 children in school groups have visited over the last five years, leaning more about their heritage and stories of the past. Children get hands-on with history through artefact handling, re-enactments, and museum trails, with sessions linked to the national curriculum.

The Frome Hoard

Somerset County Gazette:

The Frome Hoard, containing 52,503 Roman coins, formed the highlight of the first temporary exhibition at the newly-opened museum in 2011.

It was discovered the previous year and is the largest hoard of Roman coins ever found in a single container in Britain. The coins, which range in date from AD 253 to about AD 290, are all made from copper alloy with the exception of five rare silver denarii. Visitors can see the hoard as part of the permanent archaeological displays in the Great Hall.

Volunteers

Somerset County Gazette:

Hundreds of volunteers support the running of the museum.

Over the last five year volunteers have contributed an amazing 42,780 hours.

They participate in different ways from helping at family events to providing technical support behind the scenes. Volunteers are currently running public tours of Taunton, exploring its hidden history.

Somerset Remembers

A six-month exhibition was held at the museum in 2014, built around the stories and experiences of Somerset people during the First World War.

It was launched with a civic reception in July and opened by the then Lord-Lieutenant Lady Elizabeth Gass DCVO.

The exhibition was part of the Somerset Remembers project and associated community archive developed to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.

The museum is part of The South West Heritage Trust, an independent charity committed to protecting and celebrating Somerset and Devon’s rich heritage.

It is open Tuesday to Saturday 10m to 5pm.

Entry is free.

For more information, visit museumofsomerset.org.uk