Bakelite Museum

Bakelite Museum
Location within Somerset and the United Kingdom
Location Williton, Somerset
Coordinates 51°09′53″N 3°18′31″W / 51.1648°N 3.3087°W / 51.1648; -3.3087
Website Bakelite Museum

The Bakelite Museum is in Williton, Somerset, England.

The Museum is housed in Orchard Mill, which has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II listed building.[1] It used to be a watermill and still has the original workings in place, including the water wheel.[2]

It is home to the personal collection of Patrick Cook, and includes vintage plastics such as radios, cameras, telephones, Bayko play bricks and a Bakelite coffin, plus a Bakelite car and vintage caravans. The Bakelite era has been captured by non-plastic objects from the early 20th century – fridges, cookers, washing-machines, toasters and comptometers.[3][4] An additional feature is the contents of one of the first, pioneering Bakelite factories in Britain, with presses, moulding machines and over 120 steel moulds.

In September 2010 a fire safety inspection found various problems which needed to be rectified if the museum was to remain open to the public and satisfy the Regulatory Reform (Fire safety) Order 2005.[5][6] Improved access to the museum was created in 2012 by the addition of an elegant outside staircase by a local blacksmith.

See also

References

  1. "Orchard Millhouse". Images of England. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  2. Historic England. "Orchard Millhouse, Mill and Waterwheel (1174791)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  3. Campbell, Sophie (23 June 2007). "This is Bakelite, do not adjust your dial". Telegraph. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  4. "Bakelite Museum". Culture 24. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  5. "Costs 'may shut Williton Bakelite Museum'". BBC. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  6. "Bakelite museum in Somerset tangled in red tape after fire visit". This is Somerset. Retrieved 20 November 2010.

External links

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