Newbury Hill

Explorer Tom Frome Museum stands in a former literary and scientific institution, which is a fair warning that this Somerset town has many stories to argue over. Tom says the books still hold committee meetings. The objects have their own say. The museum collects local history in a town shaped by trade, work and changing community life. Its permanent displays and temporary exhibitions can take a visitor from older finds to familiar streets and the people who used them. The building on North Parade is itself part of Frome's effort to study and share knowledge. Volunteers keep the museum and its research collections going, so a small object can lead to a much larger local question. The current sixtieth-anniversary exhibition adds a chance to see how the museum's own choices and collections have changed. Treat any single display as a doorway into the town, not the last word on it. Find the entrance on North Parade near Bridge Street. Admission is free, and the museum normally opens from early March to early December on selected days; check before setting out. Research visits to its library and archive need an appointment. Begin with a display that names a Frome street or trade, then walk out to find that place if it is publicly accessible. Ask volunteers for directions to other relevant town features. The museum's changing exhibitions make a second visit worthwhile, and the old institution building gives you a good starting point for exploring the centre. Tom's book committee is still debating its minutes. Leave it to them and let Frome's real streets continue the story outside.