The Somerset Heritage Centre

Directions

By train
There are regular trains along the Penzance/Plymouth-Glasgow/Dundee main line.  These run roughly every hour, Monday-Saturday, and usually stop at Exeter St. David, Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads.  There are also fast trains Monday-Saturday from London Paddington via Reading, generally leaving London at 6 minutes past the hour. 

If you are travelling from Devon, as well as the Penzance/Plymouth trains there are also trains from Paignton every hour.  These usually leave about 30 minutes after the service from Penzance/Plymouth. 

Bus service 28 (which has low floor buses) runs every 30 minutes at 17 and 47 minutes past the hour.  The journey will take about 20 minutes, and the closest stop is opposite the Cross Keys public house, which is on the Minehead road (A358) just past the roundabout at the bottom of Staplegrove Road.  Take the footpath leading off the main road to the left; this will bring you to the Langford Mead estate, next to a group of new houses.  From there, you will be able to see the Heritage Centre, which is situated between Bookers and West Country Feeds.  The walk should take about 10 minutes from the bus stop to the Heritage Centre. 

Walking from the train station
The Heritage Centre is a brisk 40 minutes' walk from the train station.  Leave the station and turn left, heading down Station Road.  (If you leave the station from the ticket office exit, you will need to head under the railway bridge.)  Follow Station Road past the Taunton Deane Council Offices and the swimming pool.  The road divides at the traffic lights.  Go right onto Staplegrove Road, passing North Town Primary School.  The road will eventually go over the railway (opposite Taunton School); after this, follow Bindon Road, which branches off to the left (past John Packer's music shop).  Go all the way along this rather long road.  At the traffic lights at the end of the road, you will need to cross Silk Mills Road.  Nearly straight ahead of you will you will find Langford Mead, the trading estate we are situated on.  The name of this part of the road is Great Western Way.  You will see the Heritage Centre to your left, next to the bright orange Bookers warehouse.  

By bus

Taunton bus station is on Castle Way, next to Castle Green and Taunton Castle.  A day return ticket from Taunton town centre to the Heritage Centre currently costs £3.45. 

Bus services 25, 25A and 25B run every 30 minutes, on the hour and at 30 minutes past.  The journey will take about 10 minutes.

For service 25A, the closest stop is opposite the Cross Keys public house, which is on the Minehead road (A358) just past the roundabout at the bottom of Staplegrove Road.  Take the footpath leading off the main road to the left; this will bring you to the Langford Mead estate, next to a group of new houses.  From there, you will be able to see the Heritage Centre, which is situated between Bookers and West Country Feeds.  The walk should take about 10 minutes from the bus stop to the Heritage Centre. 

For services 25 and 25B, the closest stop is opposite the Cross Keys public house.  This is on the Minehead road (A358), just past the roundabout at the bottom of Staplegrove Road.  Take the footpath leading off the main road to the left, which will bring you to the Langford Mead estate, next to a group of new houses.  From there, you will be able to see the Heritage Centre, which is situated between Bookers and West Country Feeds.  The walk should take about 10 minutes from the bus stop to the Heritage Centre. 

Service 28 (which has low floor buses) runs every 30 minutes, at 5 and 35 minutes past the hour.  The journey will take about 10 minutes, and the closest stop is opposite the Cross Keys public house.  This is on the Minehead road (A358), just past the roundabout at the bottom of Staplegrove Road.  Take the footpath leading off the main road to the left; this will bring you to the Langford Mead estate, next to a group of new houses.  From there, you will be able to see the Heritage Centre, which is situated between Bookers and West Country Feeds.  The walk should take about 10 minutes from the bus stop to the Heritage Centre. 

You can also catch the Park and Ride shuttle service, which stops in East Street (opposite TK Maxx) and Park Street (near the main entrance to County Hall.  This will take you to the Silk Mills Park and Ride, which is about 15 minutes’ walk from the Heritage Centre.  From the Park and Ride car park, turn right onto Silk Mills Road and follow the road over the railway line.  Take the next left turn onto Langford Mead, then turn left at the roundabout.  The Heritage Centre is on Brunel Way, which is the first road on your left, and is between Bookers and West Country Feeds.  Tickets currently cost £2.00 return.  Bus passes are not accepted on Park and Ride buses. 

The bus service to the Heritage Centre will be improved in the future.  A route is planned that will go into Langford Mead itself, once the new road on the housing estate has been finished and adopted by the Highways Agency. 

Using the Park and Rides
For the Somerset Gateway Park and Ride, follow the signs from the motorway (Junction 25 of the M5); the park and ride is very close to the motorway junction.  Buses go from the Park and Ride every 12 minutes, Monday-Saturday.  The buses go to Taunton town centre, but you can stay on the bus and go straight to the Silk Mills Park and Ride, which is about 10 minutes' walk from the Heritage Centre.   The current fare is £2.00 return.  Bus passes are not accepted on Park and Ride buses. 

From the Silk Mills Park and Ride, it is about 15 minutes’ walk to the Somerset Heritage Centre.  From the car park, turn right onto Silk Mills Road and follow the road over the railway line.  Take the next left turn onto Langford Mead, then turn left at the roundabout.  The Heritage Centre is on Brunel Way, which is the first road on your left, and is between Bookers and West Country Feeds. 

From the motorway (M5)
From the north: Junction 25
It takes about 20 minutes to get from the motorway to the Somerset Heritage Centre.  Exit the M5 at Junction 25.  Follow signs for the A358 and the Silk Mills Park and Ride; this will take you through a roundabout (keep left) and along the Toneway, which is a dual carriageway.  At the end of the Toneway, there is a large roundabout with Wickes visible on the right.  Turn right and go over the Obridge Viaduct.  At the roundabout at the bottom of the viaduct, turn left.  Follow the A358 and signs to Minehead.  This will take you down Greenway Road and then Staplegrove Road.  Staplegrove Road goes down a hill to a roundabout.  At the roundabout, turn left down Silk Mills Road (the A3065), then turn right at the first set of traffic lights onto Langford Mead.  At the next roundabout, turn left.  The Heritage Centre is on Brunel Way, which is the first road on your left, and is between Bookers and West Country Feeds. 

From the south: Junction 26
Junction 26 is the junction for Wellington, and will bring you off the motorway near the town. At the roundabout, turn right onto the A38 towards Taunton, and stay on this road until you get to Taunton, which will take about 20 minutes. The road will take you through Rumwell and then past Stonegallows on the edge of Taunton. At the end of the road is a roundabout; turn left onto Silk Mills Road (the A3065). Stay on this road, which will take you through the village of Bishops Hull, past the Silk Mills park and ride and over a railway bridge. Langford Mead is the next left turn after the bridge, and forms a crossroads with Bindon Road. The Heritage Centre is on Brunel Way, which is the first road on your left, and is between Bookers and West Country Feeds.

From Taunton town centre
The most straightforward way to drive from the town centre to the Heritage Centre is to go down Wellington Road.  At the roundabout at the end of the road, turn right onto Silk Mills Road.  This will take you through the outskirts of Bishops Hull village, past the Silk Mills Park and Ride and over the railway line.  At the second traffic light-operated junction, just after the junction with Bindon Road, turn left onto Langford Mead.  At the next roundabout, turn left.  The Heritage Centre is on Brunel Way, which is the first road on your left, and is between Bookers and West Country Feeds. 

Maps

Location map

Google Map of the area
Online maps do not yet show Langford Mead, as it is a new development (they show the old road layout, which has now been demolished).  The entrance to the Langford Mead estate is nearly opposite Bindon Road.