Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum

The pumping station was built in 1830 in order to drain the surrounding land in order to increase the agricultural productivity of the region and was one of several pumping stations operating in Somerset.

What to see at the Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum

The former pumping station is a Grade II* listed building that houses an 1861 Easton and Amos steam engine and pump, which is the only one still in working condition in its original location.

The museum also features a 1914 Lancashire boiler, a Marshall portable boiler and a collection of diesel and steam engines.

The keeper’s cottage has been restored to show how it would have appeared during the 1930s and 1940s and it also includes several displays with artefacts found on the site.

The site also includes a short narrow-gauge railway, which was built after the pumping station had closed in order to move machinery around the site. The railway has a small collection of locomotives dating from 1935, 1949 and 1968 and rides on the railway are included as part of the museum entry fee.

Visiting the Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum

The Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum has a rural location surrounded by the Somerset countryside around 7.5km (4½ miles) southeast of Bridgwater and 1.5km (1½ miles) south of Westonzoyland.

Its rural location means that it is best suited if you’re travelling by car. Although bus route 16 stops in Westonzoyland, around a 25-minute walk from the museum, the bus does not run on Sundays when the museum is open.

Full entry to the museum (when steam machinery is operating) is only available on selected days throughout the year and a £10 entry fee applies on these days. The museum is also open on Sunday afternoons with no admission charge, although machinery and the railway are not operating on these days.

The museum has its own small cafe and a small shop and there are also several areas where you can enjoy a picnic.

Allow 1–2 hours to visit the museum.