Winter Bus Challenge No 158!

Radstock Museum

The old coal mining sheave wheel stands in front of Radstock Museum, housed in a grade II listed Victorian Market Hall dating from 1897. The wheel is a reminder of Radstock’s former mining industry, part of the Somerset Coalfield where coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973. During the Victorian Industrial Age Somerset had 75 coal mines covering an area of 240 square miles. 

While I was taking this photo, an elderly gentleman came up to me and started telling me stories of how this wheel used to take him down into the mine every day, where he worked as an electrician, including playing cricket with light bulbs and being chased around the mine by a hornet!

So not only did I get to take a closer look at the old coal mining wheel today, but I also got to hear some personal stories that brought the wheel to life. However I failed to complete the main part of today’s challenge which was to buy some of the best Mince Pies to be found in the West Country, sold out!


Total bus journey time = 1h 35 mins