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in 2009. Since then the scope has broadened to cover historic texts about the town in books and articles. These have been digitised in A4 format, and are PDF documents so that readers can download and print them for further study. Original historical research is included. The goal has been to create an educational resource for the town, of value not only for local historians, but also for school pupils and college students.
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Because of the
Coronavirus crisis, the Blake Museum closed to the public on 20 March, with the rest of the town council's public buildings. On 31 March the museum launched a Facebook Group called Bridgwater History. The aim of this group was to help fill the void while the museum was closed. By the
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The Blake Museum works closely with the
Bridgwater Heritage Group, which was established in 2012 by the late Dr Peter Cattermole to publish detailed illustrated accounts online of the town's lost buildings. Dr Cattermole was the museum's first Honorary Curator after its return to the town council,
343:. In 2012, the museum restored and put on display the Spaxton Mosaic. The collection also includes items of women's garments dating from the 19th century, an extensive photographic collection, maritime and transport heritage items, brick, tile and textile items, and a
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The collection includes materials relating to Blake's life. Although it is commonly used, Robert Blake's name was never prefixed by "Admiral", which was not used in the
Parliamentarian navy; his actual rank of General at Sea combined the role of an Admiral and
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318:. Notable features of the museum include Blake's sea chest. The museum also illustrates Bridgwater's mercantile and marine past and includes important local historical events such as the
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end of
October, it had over 3,400 members and is growing. It is a Private Group, devoted entirely to Bridgwater's history, and nothing else.
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There is also a small collection of agricultural machinery and tools, and dairy equipment, a group of coins found in the bank of
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The museum was founded in 1926 by
Bridgwater Borough Council, and its collecting area covered from East and West
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with help from the
Friends of Blake Museum. It has been an Accredited Museum since 2006. It is next door to the
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as well as the 20th century. The museum possesses a very full archive of cuttings from the local newspaper,
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351:(1746–1818). In 2004 the Museum purchased the art and manuscripts of Chubb, for £123.000.
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The museum also had an association with
Channel 4's archaeological television programme
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brickwork. Some of the ceilings are original including one of six panels divided by
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The museum's 90th birthday in 2016 was celebrated by a special exhibition.
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archive. The museum houses the archive of the work of the local artist
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in the middle of each panel. One of the fireplaces has a Tudor
306:. In 1974, the assets of the borough council were absorbed by
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618:"List of the Chubb MSS in the Archive Office, Taunton A/CSC"
526:"Blake Museum, Bridgwater, World War I Newspaper Cuttings"
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302:in the West. This was the area of the Bridgwater
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572:. Sedgemoor District Council. Archived from
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486:"Blake Museum contracts to be exchanged"
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209:Robert Blake, General at Sea (1598–1657)
832:Grade II* listed buildings in Sedgemoor
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211:. Since April 2009 it has been run by
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732:"Facebook Group: Bridgwater History"
429:"The Admiral Blake Museum (1205363)"
398:"The Admiral Blake Museum (1205363)"
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867:Grade II* listed houses in Somerset
550:. Bridgwater Mercury. 12 April 2012
680:from the original on 26 March 2016
466:from the original on 3 August 2020
434:National Heritage List for England
403:National Heritage List for England
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872:Grade II* listed museum buildings
842:Archaeological museums in England
488:. Bridgwater Mercury. 28 May 2009
827:Biographical museums in Somerset
769:from the original on 14 May 2020
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570:"Blake Museum- The collections"
857:1926 establishments in England
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802:Museums in Sedgemoor District
670:"Dr Peter Cattermole tribute"
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16:Museum in Bridgwater, England
229:Robert Blake, General at Sea
852:Museums established in 1926
598:. Bridgwater Heritage Group
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308:Sedgemoor District Council
847:Local museums in Somerset
807:Bridgwater Heritage Group
711:"History of Blake Museum"
699:Bridgwater Heritage Group
674:Bridgwater Heritage Group
548:"Spaxton Mosaic revealed"
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316:Commissioner of the Navy
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763:Bridgwater Town Council
239:. The three-storey two-
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759:"Blake Museum closure"
341:King's Sedgemoor Drain
333:The Bridgwater Mercury
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298:in the East to beyond
290:in the South and from
243:structure is built of
620:. Bridgwater Heritage
512:Westminster-abbey.org
217:Bridgwater Town Mill
162:Admiral Blake Museum
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650:on 7 December 2006
345:Monmouth rebellion
320:Battle of Sedgmoor
176:Reference no.
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328:English Civil War
251:and a mixture of
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640:"Blake Museum"
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792:Blake Museum
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624:3 September
324:King Alfred
152:– Grade II*
117: /
92:Coordinates
68:and England
862:Bridgwater
816:Categories
654:27 October
602:18 January
580:10 October
409:30 October
380:References
349:John Chubb
288:Thurloxton
247:with some
201:Bridgwater
168:Designated
102:51°07′38″N
81:Bridgwater
37:Bridgwater
440:3 October
357:Time Team
284:Huntspill
261:chamfered
245:limestone
105:3°00′05″W
767:Archived
737:Facebook
716:30 April
678:Archived
554:17 April
532:27 March
492:27 March
464:Archived
249:hamstone
205:Somerset
85:Somerset
77:Location
66:Somerset
292:Ashcott
265:roundel
180:1205363
130:Website
326:, the
272:lintel
199:is in
773:5 May
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684:5 May
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
