Chepstow House

Explorer Tom Bruton Museum on the High Street is small enough to tempt you into thinking you can pop in for five minutes. That is a trap set by Somerset history: before long, Saxons, an abbey, a remarkable artist and John Steinbeck are all jostling for your attention. I have seen quieter queues at a bakery. The museum tells the story of Bruton from the land before the town through its Saxon beginnings and medieval importance as an ecclesiastical centre. Bruton Abbey is part of that story. Among the collection's striking surprises are works by Ernst Müller-Blensdorf, a German artist who came to Britain as a refugee during the Second World War, and the writing desk used by American novelist John Steinbeck while he lived in Bruton in 1959. One town, several very different routes into world history. Current displays also make room for local voices and changing work by artists in the museum's Casespace. That helps the place feel like a conversation with its neighbours rather than a room of sealed-up relics. The museum welcomes the public on its advertised days and offers free entry, so check the current visit details and head to number 26 High Street. If you are exploring Bruton on foot, it makes a useful first stop before meeting the streets named in its stories. My theory is that Steinbeck's desk still refuses to let anyone write a dull sentence on it; sadly I have not been allowed to test that claim. The real pleasure is the scale: an ordinary Somerset town with enough layers to keep the curious busy. Go in for five minutes if you dare. Bruton history may have other plans for your afternoon.